Next Order?
by Quasarr
Summary: After Azami Nakiri was dethroned, Totsuki Culinary Academy returned to it's original ideals, led by the heir to the Nakiri name herself, along with the reformed Elite 10. However, it's only the beginning of their second year and there was already trouble brewing. Will Erina and Soma be able to handle it with their stand-off attitudes and conflicting emotions?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"I'll take my fourth seat back, thank you very much" announced Akira Hayama as reached for the band that tied his hair into a pony tail and untied it, releasing his pristine silver locks fall barely below his shoulders and started gathering all his utensils. All the meanwhile ignoring the enraged beast known as Ryo Kurokiba who had ran over to Hayama's cooking area and began to relentlessly slam his fist on the stainless-steel table.

"YOU SPICE BASTARD, TAKE THAT SHIT BACK OUT AND LET'S GO FOR ROUND 2! I'LL RIP THAT DAMNED SEAT RIGHT BACK FROM YOU" roared the Mad Dog, eyes oozing with rage, but filled with a fire that always caught Hayama's attention. Hayama couldn't help but smile at his classmate's tenacity and let out a sigh.

"Sorry, but I have some experiments to work on in the lab. You can try again tomorrow, if you can even muster the courage past this little adrenaline rush of yours" scoffed Hayama, succeeding in provoking the already livid Ryo.

"WHY YO- eh" started Ryo before the white-haired Danish ripped the bandana off his head and lightly slapped him on the back of his head.

"I think that's enough" Alice said in a demanding tone, holding his bandana in one hand while pulling on his ear with the other. However, despite the treatment the most Ryo could muster up was-

"Kay Alice" Ryo said nonchalantly, as if he didn't even feel the searing pain coursing through his ear, frustrating Alice and making her pout and shout.

"What?! At least try to sound more intimidated! Damn it Ryo, let's go we need to practice!" As Alice pulled Ryo towards the exit, the audience couldn't help but look in confusion and fear at Alice's wrath, while the other Elite 10 seats and the rest of Polar Star laughed at her temper tantrum combined with Ryo's indifferent expression and couldn't help but laugh. Eizan and Nene simply shook their heads, but in the end couldn't help but crack a smile as Kuga was on his knees from his uncontrollable laughing fit.

"Did you see the look on the mutt's face when Grumpy Sensei gave the Hayama the point?!" laughed Kuga as Roland Chapelle twitched in annoyance from Kuga's nickname.

"If anyone's the mutt here it's you, midget" responded Nene without sparing him the slightest glance.

"What'd you call me, you hag?!" shouted Kuga who was now up on his feet and growling at Nene, who simply gazed at him in disgust.

"Will you two just shut up?" interjected Etsuya Eizan, the 8th seat. He soon regretted that decision as the two directed their death glares towards him.

"N-now guys…we shouldn't be arguing like this front of the whole s-school" said Megumi as she tried to avoid making eye contact with the audience who were staring in confusion and slight fear. In an instant, Megumi crawled back to Takumi and Isshiki in pure fear when the three bickering Elite 10 members looked back at her, feral rage oozing out of their eyes. They held their gaze on her before going back to bickering among each other, leaving a sobbing Megumi.

"You'd think after all this time and all that's happened they'd figure out how to be around each other without wanting to kill each other" sighed Takumi which was followed by Isshiki's light hearted laughter, as if he was completely oblivious to the fact that three of the top students were literally a few bulging veins away from physically harming each other.

"Don't you behave the same way with Yukihira, though?" asked Isshiki, catching Takumi off-guard. Takumi simply looked away, knowing he had already lost the battle.

"Ahh the beauty of youth, who knew it could elevate one's emotions to such blazing ferocity" said Satoshi Isshiki as he swung his arms out and began walking towards the three, trying to get them in a hug, followed by three powerful punches from the 3rd, 8th, and 9th seat which sent him toppling over to Megumi and Takumi, startling the two.

"Isshiki senpai?!" shouted the two as they ran over to his now lifeless body, with nothing short of 3 bulging bruises on his face and his classic smile. The rest of the school watched as chaos ensued among the Elite 10, too filled with both fear and amusement to try and leave or stop them.

Higher up in her own private booth stood the God Tongue herself alongside Hisako Arato, covered her face in embarrassment while Erina let out a heavy sigh followed by massaging her own temples.

"Those improper morons…" she groaned before Hisako pulled out her phone.

"Should I call security to help reprimand them?" asked Hisako, who was ready to speed-dial the campus security officers. Fights over the seats or just over trivial nonsense was a commonality now, to the point where Hisako, despite her dedication and hardworking nature, just wanted to roll her eyes and look the other way. Erina simply pointed back towards the bickering group. Hisako followed her finger and realized what she was pointing at; Ryo Kurokiba had just gotten his bandana back on and was now on a rampage on the three, splitting them apart and holding them back. Megumi watched in absolute terror as Alice fell to the floor from laughing to hard, while Takumi and Hayama sighed. Isshiki…was still knocked out, but still had his infamous smile plastered onto his blank expression.

"Don't bother, I don't want to give security a hard time with Ryo again, especially after last week's incident"

"Speaking of, Officer Gerald was just released from the hospital. We've given him compensation for what happened, though he did say he may have to reconsider coming back to the job" Hisako couldn't help but laugh a little while telling Erina, but soon recomposed herself.

"Remind me to tell my dear cousin to keep a tighter leash on his aid" said the headmaster, which Hisako simply responded with a nod. To Hisako's surprise, however, a small smile grew on Erina's face followed by a soft chuckle as she watched the Elite 10 below. Hisako couldn't help but smile back; seeing Erina this happy; _genuinely_ happy, made Hisako even more grateful for her fellow classmates. Especially…

"B-by the way, where's Yukihira-Kun, Hisako?" asked Erina. Hisako was caught off guard by Erina's sudden change of tone; one that was softer, one that was almost…embarrassed?

"He's probably still sleeping at Polar Star Dormitory" responded Hisako and she began swiping away at her tablet. Soon, a spreadsheet popped up into view. On it was all the past Shokugekis that have taken place since the Nakiri Administration with Headmaster Erina Nakiri was put into place. Along with the competitors, conditions, and results of the Shokugekis, it also has a record of upcoming Shokugekis.

"Yukihira-Kun last participated in a Shokugeki two days ago and hasn't reported since" reported Hisako, making Erina twitch.

" _That twit…must I always have to remind him of his responsibilities as first seat?!"_ thought Erina as she twitched in annoyance. But at the end of the day, that thought was simply a way of masking her true feelings. Though she cherished all of her fellow classmates that unbeknownst to her would become her close friends, there was a certain emotion that only Soma Yukihira could evoke out her. Well, _emotions_. Despite his over-zealous, idiotic, and blunt attitude which would more often than not be the bane of Erina's existence, she rather enjoyed his company. There was a certain aura the red-haired emitted that no one could ignore; this was a known fact among all of the students, especially within the Elite 10 and Polar Star Dormitory.

"If you'd like, I can call him or get someone to pick him up" said Hisako. Erina took a moment to think before she answered.

"No, it's fine. I think I'll make a visit to him myself. Knowing him, he would be stubborn and weasel his way out of anyone else's grasp" sighed Erina before she turned on her heel and began to walk away.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The cool breeze gently blew in through the window, rustling the crimson-haired boy's hair, gently swaying it from side to side. Soma Yukihira, only an upcoming sophomore, has occupied the first seat within the Elite 10, making him logistically the strongest chef within the entire school. Logistics, however wasn't Soma's concern as he laid back on his bed, eyes shut and hands behind his head. He chewed on the shriveled squid tentacle and let out an exasperated sigh.

" _Second year's coming around in a few weeks huh…"_ thought Soma before a rather devious smirk crawled up on his face. _"Not even two years in and I'm already the first seat, suck on that dad!"_ Soma manically laughed internally briefly before his signature smirk faded into a slight frown.

" _If only it was that easy…"_ thought Soma. He grabbed his phone and quickly dialed his father's phone number. As he punched in the numbers, questions began to flood his mind.

 _Why am I calling Dad?_

 _What am I gonna even ask him?_

Ring.

 _Where the hell even is he now?_

Ring. A smile began to form on Soma's face as he let out an evil giggle.

 _I wonder what nasty garbage he came up wi-_

Click.

"Soma? What's up, brat? Did you get into trouble again? I can't drop everything and save your ass all the time you know" laughed Saiba Jouichirou, Soma's father, also known as the Asura.

"Screw you too, pops!" shouted Soma. If anyone could easily tick Soma off, it was his own father. Soma heard his hearty laugh over the phone which was then followed by several voices.

"I'd love to catch up Soma, but right now's a bad time. Think you can run down whatever you need in the next…30 seconds?" said Jouichirou. Though it sounded insane, Soma knew that his father really did mean in the next 30 seconds. Traveling all over the world, serving so many high-class people, it's all a part of the luxurious life that his father has been leading ever since Soma entered Totsuki.

"Well, er, that's the thing. I don't really know why I called you. Something's been on my mind but I don't really know how to approach it, ya know?" said Soma. Silence. His father didn't utter a single word.

"The hell you call me for? I don't know what's going on in that blockhead of yours" mocked Saiba. Soma could almost see his father's dopey smile, irritating Soma.

"Thanks a ton you good for nothing old man!" Soma retorted in anger, making Saiba laugh even more.

"You might just be thinking too hard about it. Do something to exhaust yourself, drain yourself mentally and physically. Then try and tackle whatever you got going on without over complicating it. Go cook or workout or something. Or both. Yeah, try both" Soma just sat up, both dumbfounded and just confused.

"I COULD HAVE FIGURED THAT OUT ON MY OWN?!" Soma shouted into the phone.

"Then why didn't you? Anyway, I have to go! Tell me when you figure it out, Soma. Remember, no one is going to give you the answers you want. You have to find them yourself. Especially if it's in that head of yours, no one knows you better than yourself. Take care, kid! I'll see you next week!"

And just like that, his father hung up and was gone. Soma looked at his recent calls record and stared at the call he just made with his dad. 27 seconds.

"That asshole, I had 3 seconds left" Soma let out a deep sigh before tossing his phone across the bed. He got up and made his way over to the mini fridge and took out some ingredients. He took out one chicken leg and thigh from the wrapping and put it in the microwave. He pressed the Defrost button and started it up, prompting the microwave to light up and inside. Soma watched the dish with the chicken breast spin for a moment before turning around. He let out a sigh and shook his head.

" _Might as well give it a shot"_ thought Soma as he held his arms out and got into push-up position. He slowly let his body down and held himself up just before his chest touched the ground, keeping his back straight. He held the position for 3 seconds before pushing himself back up.

" _1"_ Soma kept a mental check in his head as he repeated the same motion again.

" _2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10…1-"_

Ding. Soma got up and turned around to look at the microwave. It was still lit up and was still spinning.

"That's weird…might be broken. Oh well, I'll deal with that later" Soma shrugged it off and got back into position, getting back into his routine.

* * *

Erina rang the doorbell of the Polar Star Dormitory as her limo drove away. She waited patiently outside, observing the area around her.

"Maybe I should get the dorm renovated…I'd have to do it at a time when no one is in the dorm, which might prove to be difficult" Erina said to herself as she observed the worn-down building. Moss and vines coated the entire manor, as if it hasn't been tended to in the last decade. Suddenly, the doors swung open as Fumio revealed herself. Erina smiled at her and bowed.

"Now now, Nakiri, no need to bow. If I didn't have your grandfather do it I don't want, you to do it either. Besides, you are the headmaster now, it should be the other way around if anything" laughed Fumio as she motioned Erina to come in.

"Please Fumio-san, you are still my elder and besides, I'm the heir to the Nakiri name. I've been taught to show the utmost respect and honor" said Erina with a smile as she walked in and closed the door behind her.

"Ahh yes, I believe Yukihira would agree with that, wouldn't he?" chuckled Fumio, making Erina freeze up and look away in embarrassment as she played with her hair, avoiding eye-contact. Fumio let out a booming laugh before waving her hand in the air.

"I'm just pulling your leg, Nakiri-Chan. It's adorable the way you too bicker" A bright crimson shade infected Erina's cheeks as she began to stutter.

"A-adorable? There is nothing adorable about the way he makes my life more difficult in every single conceivable way!" Erina shouted as she tightened her fists.

"He's unorganized, always lazing around, never takes any priority! Ugh, if I could count all the violations he's committed ever since he got the First Seat, not even counting before then, I could get him expelled from this institution along with every other institution" exclaimed Erina as she began to count all the numerous rules that Soma had broken, all with a hearty smile and careless expression, infuriating Erina even more as she thought back to all the paperwork she had to take care of because of his carelessness. "There was the time he nearly burned an entire kitchen down for some crazy squid dish with grape jelly and ice cream…the time he nearly got his stupid moped towed and had me pay for his dumb parking ticket…when he nearly sent a student into the emergency room…" muttered Erina, as she kept counting on her fingers. Fumio laughed even harder, wiping away a tear before recomposing herself.

"So what brings you here, Nakiri-Chan?" asked Fumio, still taking in deep breaths. Erina stopped counting and looked up, standing up straight in the process.

"I'm here looking for Yukihira-Ku-!" started Erina before a mischievous smile crawled onto Fumio's face as she tried to cover it, giggling behind her had. Erina's face once again was glowing a bright red as she began to flail her hands wildly,

"It's not what it looks like!" she shouted. Fumio just nodded as Erina covered her face.

"Well, he's here though I think he might be with someone right now" Fumio started. Erina's face of embarrassment soon changed into one of surprise and curiosity, to say the least.

"I heard him talking to someone earlier, shouting and what not. Then there were these weird noises coming from his room. It's like he's wrestling or something" said Fumio as she pointed upwards.

"I don't know, I didn't think Yukihira-Kun had any friends outside of the Polar Star and you, so who knows what's going on up there" Fumio said before walking away, shrugging. Erina's face was filled with even more confusion until, as if her face hasn't already popped a multiple blood vessels, was flushed in burning scarlet color. She bolted for the stairs and began sprinting up, not even sparing the confused Fumio an explanation while she watched the blonde teen race as if her life depended on it.

" _He wouldn't be doing something so…so…so indecent! Would he?! Did he exploit his First Seat position?! Bribery? Or even worse, bought it?!"_ thought Erina, as a million thoughts zoomed past her mind, faster than she was even running. She suddenly snapped out of thought as Soma's door came into view and without any sign of restraint, pushed the door open. Erina was gasping for air, kneeling over and holding herself up by holding onto her knees. Her breath had finally returned to her and when it did, she straightened herself and gasped. Her eyes widened and no matter how much she tried, her eyes were glued onto the shirtless, sweat-covered Soma, who had his hands around his ears. He was sitting upright as if he had just finished a crunch and didn't dare move a muscle as his eyes locked onto Erina's eyes. Suddenly, Soma jolted upwards as he watched Erina's mouth slowly start to widen.

"Nakiri, hold on!" started Soma as he waved his hands frantically.

Fumio returned to the kitchen and began to hum to herself as she stirred the pot, when suddenly a loud shriek blasted throughout the dorm, leaving a confused Fumio who then scoffed.

"Stupid kids"

* * *

"Y-you! You pervert, the hell are you doing?!" shouted Erina as she looked around the room, trying to avoid making contact with Soma.

"But you're the one who barged into my room without saying anything. If anything, you're the pervert" Soma said, not with sarcasm or mockery, but with actual confusion which annoyed the golden princess.

"I did! I texted you like forty minutes ago!" shouted Erina, pointing to his phone on the bed. Soma then realized that's what the ringing that he mistook for the microwave.

"You still should knock though, shouldn't you?"

The fact that he wasn't _exactly_ incorrect flustered her even more. Erina simply flipped her hair and looked to the side with distain.

"W-whatever! P-point is why are you even making so much noise up here?! Don't you know other people reside here!" shouted Erina, trying to change the subject to something in her favor.

"But you don't even live in this dorm anymore, why would it bother you?" Soma asked again, in the same nonchalant tone. Erina flinched and twitched as she found herself defeated again in a matter of seconds.

"W-well why do you have your shirt off you indece- "

"It's my roo- "

"JUST PUT ON A SHIRT" Erina shouted, so loud Soma had to cover his ears.

"Alright, alright Nakiri, cool it why don't ya?" laughed Soma as he grabbed his black undershirt and slipped it on. Just before he did, Erina caught a glimpse of Soma's surprisingly defined abdomen. Her eyes then shifted to his slim but lean and muscular arms. As her eyes continued to roam, she found herself looking at his chiseled neckline to his sharp jawline.

"Earth to Nakiri, you there?" Soma said as he waved his hand in front of Erina's face, snapping her out of her self-induced trance. She shook her head in embarrassment and then flipped her hair with confidence, leaving a dumbfounded Soma as he watched her entire demeanor change.

"What do you think you're doing here? It's one thing if you don't want to come to every single Shokugeki, but as the first seat it's your priority to at least report the results of your _**own**_ Shokugekis" said Erina in a serious tone.

"Lest you're embarrassed to admit that someone has finally beaten you and taken away your hand-me-down of a First Seat" taunted Erina with her signature mocking smirk. The infamous smirk that made chefs and anyone of the like tremble in fear. However, she seemed to have forgotten the one on the receiving end of this smirk is none other than…

"Oh no, they just backed out last second. Besides, weren't you the one who made me the First Seat?" responded Soma, with a blank expression, catching Erina off guard once again. She simply looked away, red from being countered not once, not twice, not even three times, but four times! All by the same clueless, ignorant, enraging crimson-haired imbecile.

"Though you're not entirely wrong" Soma muttered under her breath, surprising Erina as he turned around and took the chicken leg and thigh off the mini grill.

" _Did I go too far?"_ thought Erina. Even though she still found him obnoxious and irritating, she couldn't deny how close she had gotten to Soma. Yes, Hisako was her best friend, but there were things that she could only talk to Soma about. And despite how insufferable and irresponsible Soma could be, whenever she truly needed something done, Soma was able to get it done effortlessly. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Erina, on some level, considered Soma as her right-hand man.

"So, what's up Erina, did ya miss me?" teased Soma, with his trademark mischievous smirk that took away the little worry Erina had and turned it into pure rage.

"As if! I just came to make sure you weren't doing anything…" Erina started off confident and demanding before her voice trailed off and her original thoughts of what Soma was doing returned, making her blush and prompting her to look away and player with her hair.

"…Anything i-indecent or against campus regulation" finished Erina, making Soma laugh. Erina's gaze darted back to him, as she pouted, narrowing her eyes.

"What's so funny?!" she shouted, stepping close and pulling him up by his shirt. Soma couldn't help but laugh even more.

"What'd ya think I was doing?! Drugs or something?!" laughed Soma, struggling to take breaths in between each word. Erina began to violently shake him.

"O-of course not! But there's never knowing what you'll pull out of your ass! Besides, Fumio-San told me it sounded like you were talking to someone and-"shouted Erina before she began to stutter, unsure how phrase her next thought. Soma began to laugh even harder as he came to the conclusion Erina was trying to make. He stopped laughing and then moved his hand over to Erina's. He grabbed it tightly and gently moved her hand off his shirt. He held onto her hand tightly, causing Erina to blush as he leaned in close.

"W-what are you doing?!" Erina struggled to say as she watched his face stop inches before hers. She felt his shining golden orbs cut deep through her lilac-colored eyes.

"And so what if I was? Do you have a problem with it?" said Soma. Erina froze as his voice suddenly changed into a more deep and smooth tone. It was almost sedu-

No. Erina stopped herself from thinking such a thing. But she couldn't help but stare back at his intimate gaze. His eyes were soft yet strong, and it seemed as if his hair had gotten even longer and even wilder, but still in "organized chaos" manner. She had hinted at him getting a haircut, but she couldn't find it within herself to hate it. The scar across his eyebrow, such a deep one and large one that almost reached his eyelid. His sharp and intimidating glare but mixed with a sly smile had Erina flustered. All these attributes combined gave him such a rough, ruffian-like appearance; something that Erina would look down upon. But…things were different now. She tried to disengage the lock-on in between them and looked to the side.

"I-it's just that as headmaster I can't just turn a blind eye and condone s-such behavior. I-if you wish to do su-" before Erina could even finish her though, Soma had let of her hand and covered his mouth, letting out muffled giggles.

"Oh man, you should have seen your face" snickered Soma. Erina just froze in place, unable to fathom what had just happened. Once she had regained the smallest morsel of sense, her timid and embarrassed self was replaced with one filled with humiliation and rage.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you?! Why would you do that?!" she shouted, absolutely livid as the crimson-haired boy started rolling, laughing at her frustration.

"It's just I remember this one time Yukino was telling us about that weird Shoujo manga she was reading and I just remembered you're both into the same manga, so I'd figure I'd act like one of those guys in the manga!" laughed Soma, struggling to breathe, unaware of the fuming Erina before him. She wanted to punch him with all her might, she just wanted to knock him out for good. Suddenly, a ding echoed through the room, prompting Soma to get up and walk over to the oven. As he opened up the oven and took out the four pieces of beautifully colored bread, the aroma swirled around the room and immediately caught the attention of the now-calm blonde. Off the corner of his eye, he had noticed that Erina was closer, trying to see what he was doing, making a smile crawl on his face. He turned around to reveal a rather ugly and evil smirk.

"You want some, don'tcha?" asked Soma, with a hint of mockery in his voice. Erina glared at him and rolled her eyes before crossing her arms against her chest and looking away.

"I'm just kidding, come on Nakiri it's not that serious" laughed Soma as he placed the four pieces of bread on a plate and then the two pieces of chicken neatly assorted next to it. Next up, he brought over a pot and with a ladle, drizzled the meat in a sauce. Though Erina would never admit it, the dish looked mouth-watering despite its simplicity. The aroma of the perfectly cooked chicken combined with the aroma of the bread as well as the sauce lured Erina in, despite her attempts at fighting it.

"Come on, try it with me!" exclaimed Soma as he set the plate on the table. Erina sat down in front of the dish as Soma ripped off a piece of the bread and with it, ripped a chunk of the chicken leg off with it, handing it to Erina. She held onto it, and before she put it in her mouth, she noticed him ripping off another piece.

"You know it's rude to eat off of someone else's plate without permission" scoffed Erina, slightly embarrassed with the fact that they were sharing the same plate. However, the saddened and disappointed expression that appeared on Soma's face completely took away that feeling.

"Aww, what?! I made it for myself in the first place!" argued Soma, who for the first time in today's rather chaotic encounter, seemed genuinely frustrated. Erina looked away and pointed her nose up, eyes closed. A moment later, she opened one eye and couldn't help but giggle looking at his almost childish expression, as if someone had just taken a piece of candy away from him but rather than bawling his eyes out, he was trying to reason with the thief. With a smile on her face, she gave Soma the "okay" to take a piece, making a smile on his face as bright as his hair itself appear. He took a piece in the same fashion that he had given to Erina and once they had it in their hands, they both place it in their mouths and bit down.

In an instant, a burst of flavor exploded into Erina's mouth and continued to as if they were fireworks. The juiciness of the chicken, which was surprisingly spicy but was balanced out by the sweetness of the sauce. The bread was a harmony of both fluffy and crispy, having a satisfying but not flakey crunch to it. Erina could barely contain herself as she held onto the edge of the table, holding herself up. And then in an instant, she imagined herself in an oasis. The crisp wind gently played with her hair and swayed the leaves of the palm trees. The sun was shining brightly was reflected perfectly upon the beautiful and mesmerizing spring in front of her. Erina was in a beautiful royal blue top, bedazzled in rime stones around the neckline that cut right below the top of her bosom, modestly accentuating her ample chest. Her pants were a matching blue that were baggy and flowy but were silky smooth and just a tad short from being barely see-through. It was laced with a beautiful and intricate floral design reminiscent of royal Indian fashion wear. As she inched closer to the oasis to get a sip of the water, she was caught off guard as someone popped out of the water, pouncing on her and pinning her down. She yelped in surprise as she slowly opened her eyes to see none other than Soma. His hair fell sloppily to his sides and was dripping water onto Erina, who was too timid and mesmerized by his almost predatorial intent to fight back. He slowly leaned him, his hot breath tingling Erina's neck, making her shudder in anticipation.

* * *

"Nakiri, yoo hoo, you there?" asked Soma. Erina opened her eyes and locked eyes onto Soma, who had look of worry and confusion plastered on him. Erina coughed, a tinge of red appearing on her face and tried to recompose herself. She looked down at the meal before her and looked up.

"This naan…you coated it in rosemary oil, garlic, and butter, didn't you?" said Erina in a serious tone, to which Soma simply nodded.

"And this chicken…the sauce you used, it's the chestnut sauce from the dish you made against Tsukasa-san during your first Shokugeki with him, isn't it?" Soma nodded but before he could say anything, she continued.

"It's sweeter than I remember…honey" Soma smirked and rubbed his chin with his finger and his thumb.

"Oh man, is my dish so good it's making you refer to me as your honey?" Soma said with a sly smile, prompting Erina to roll her eyes.

"Not you, moron. You added honey to the sauce to make it even sweeter"

"That's right! I also wanted to give it a little more texture so that the meat didn't just soak it all up before the bread could!" said Soma before he started rubbing his head in embarrassment. "Also for the fact that I made the meat a little _too_ spicy, so I needed to counter balance it somehow" laughed Soma. Erina wouldn't dare admit this, but she was impressed. He was able to turn his dish that initially started as a mistake and used knowledge from his past to amplify the dish to new heights. She used to mock and demean this…this reckless style of cooking. But after spending so much time with Soma and observing his battle with even the highest ranked, she grew a fondness for his bold and outrageous dishes. But would she ever admit that?

"It's average, at best" lied Erina, keeping her composure as she took off another piece of the naan.

No, no she wouldn't.

"Oh yeah? Then what's with seconds?" snickered Soma as he snatched the plate away before Erina could take a piece of the chicken off. Erina glared at Soma and slammed her hand on the table.

"I-it's only common courtesy to finish a dish that was made for you! B-besides I haven't eaten anything since last night because of all the extra paperwork I had to deal with because a CERTAIN FIRST SEAT refused to finish it within the allocated time!" she shouted, pouting and slamming her hand repeatedly onto the table, making Soma laugh. He slid the plate back to her and chuckled as she ripped another piece off.

"I'm just messing with ya Nakiri. And thank you sooooooooo much for covering for me! Last time, I swear!" said Soma as she bowed, making Erina scoff.

"Yeah, that's what you always say. One of these day's I really will force you to do your own work for once you lazy sack of-"

"Love youuu" teased Soma, as he winked, catching Erina off guard, making her almost spit the food out. She recomposed herself and sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, go screw yourself" she said before taking another bite.

"Anyway, who were you talking to anyway if it wasn't a gi-person in your room?" asked Erina, almost stumbling on her own words. Soma looked at her in confusion before it hit him. Erina simply rolled her eyes at his slowness before he pointed to his phone.

"Oh, I just called my dad for a sec, but he seemed to be busy" said Soma, who was clearly annoyed. Erina's interest was piqued once more as her mind lingered to her idol, Jouichirou Saiba.

"Well of course, he is a world class chef, legendary even. Too bad some genes just don't transfer. So sad, you could almost have had _some_ talent in cooking" mocked Erina, making Soma just roll his eyes.

"Well that's not very nice" said Soma before he got up and stretched. He went over to grab his phone and to Erina's surprise, his face softened. A small smile appeared on his face, but when Erina looked into his eyes, there was a variety of emotions. There was pride, love, and honor. But the most prominent, yet most disturbing, was a foreign feeling; a foreign feeling for Soma, anyway. A feeling she never thought she'd see coming from Soma Yukihira. It was a look she only saw once before.

" _Why…why is there so much sadness in his eyes?"_ thought Erina.

 _ **A\N: Well, there's two chapters! Honestly, I just started writing this because I just couldn't get the scenario out of my head. And because I need something to satisfy my need for more Shokugeki manga chapters, alongside MHA. Though this doesn't do much for my MHA drought, it's okay! Season 3 still in full swing. I hope you guys enjoy, I'll try to get working on chapter 3 soon. Enjoy and review, please!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The professors voice echoed throughout the room as he continued his lecture, back turned the students. The students were doing their best to keep up to the professor's pace who was relentlessly spewing out cooking terms, his voice only being combatted with the sounds of pens furiously scribbling onto paper. In the second row, sat Megumi Tadokoro who was practically panting from writing for so long and having to increase her speed to stay afloat in the survival-of-the-fittest style that every class in Totsuki seems to build on.

" _Meat products must always be cooked with the utmost care. Changing the temperature will cause it to harden too quickly which can not only ruin the overall taste but also dissatisfy the customer. The best way to coo- Soma?!"_ thought Megumi as she turned to the scarlet boy to her left, who was too focused on balancing the pen, that he **should** be using to take notes, on his lips. He then turned to Megumi and gave her a look that screamed "Look at me!". Soma instinctively smiled and dropped the pen, causing him to curse under his breath as he reached down to pick it back up. Megumi simply sighed and helped him pick the pen up, which had rolled to her right side. She set the pet down onto his notebook with a pout and glared at him with the angriest face she could possibly muster. But of course, combined with the fact that she wasn't an angry person along with the fact that it was Soma of all people, Soma couldn't help but laugh at the adorable glare Megumi was giving him.

"Soma-kun! Focus, you can't keep slacking like you did during the first year! I can't give you th-"whispered Megumi before the professor's thundering voice announced her name, sending a shock of fear course through her entire being.

"Ms. Tadokoro, just because you've been so graciously gifted the 10th seat, you don't intend to focus I suggest you find yourself out before I add an F to your report" said the professor in a low and intimidating tone. As if he voice wasn't enough to shake poor Megumi to her core, the sharp look that he gave to her was able to take the cake. His eyes were like sharpened knives that cut through Megumi's as if she was softest loaf of bread.

"Y-yes Professor! I-I'm so sorry for the interruption" Megumi stood up and bowed, trying to hide her fearful look and trying her best not to shed a tear out of pure fear. She sat back down as the professor scoffed and turned back around, continued to write on the board and proceeded with his lecture. Megumi look to her left to see Soma, just giggling away and pointing at her.

"Hehe, you got in trouuuuuuuuuble" mocked Soma, trying his hardest to contain his laughter, making Megumi let out a heavy sigh before hitting Soma's arm.

* * *

A few rows back, Erina observed the red-head constantly bother Megumi, who was trying her hardest to ignore him. He continued with his mischievous antics, twirling his pen and then taking another one and shoving the two in his mouth, as if they were fangs. Soon, she watched as Megumi couldn't help but laugh at Soma's stupidity, while he just smiled away. Erina looked to her left and right and caught two male students, both two seats away from her ogling with, what she thought to be perverted smiles. Once aware of Erina's gaze upon them, both students turned and face forward out of pure fear, trying their best to avoid anymore eye contact with the Ice Queen. Erina let out a sigh and let her gaze rest upon Soma who had suddenly pulled out his earbuds and put them into his ear, spinning his pen with one hand while what Erina could only assume to be selecting a song with the other hand. Erina rolled her eyes and returned to her notes, which were perfectly organized and, in fact, ahead of the professor's lecture. She looked back at Megumi who was still trying to hold her laughter, but still failed. Erina let out a sigh as she used her hand to hold her head up.

" _This is just so…boring"_ thought Erina. As much as she loved Megumi and looked after her as if she was her own sister, she couldn't help but wish she was in her place right now. Of course, it's not that she didn't want to be right next to the concentration of idiocy and the living man-child to her left, but anything would be preferred over dying of boredom. Then suddenly, she heard a loud snap. She looked back up and saw the professor slam a yard stick right in front of Megumi right onto her notebook, frightening her and those around her.

"Listen, girl. I don't care who you are, you will not disrupt my class. Your disruption is not only a hinderance to the students around you but also a red flag for you own incompetence" shouted the middle-aged man. Megumi just stared back at him, unable to say anything.

"Totsuki never should have accepted you, let alone let you pass. I've seen your past markings-F's. Absolute failure on every single assignment. Who knows how you managed to stay afloat with your fourth-rate skills and third-rate drive" continued the teacher, doses of venom drenched every word he spat out. Soma looked at Megumi, who was keeping her head down, hiding her eyes. His gaze then fixed onto the professor. Soon the professor locked eyes onto Soma and took a step back. Soma's eyes were razor sharp, cutting deep into the professor. His gaze was the perfect balance of both calm and deadly, a gaze that only Soma could deliver. Soma's originally eccentric, over-bearing, and friendliness that borders that of **too** friendly was replaced with lethality. It was almost as if he was looking down upon the professor, his eyes spitting words such as pathetic, waste of time, disgusting. He then looked to the right and took another step back as he saw the headmaster herself, Erina Nakiri, walked down the steps with the same gaze as the First Seat. Just as Erina halted to a stop, Soma rose up from his seat, hands in his pocket, gaze still locked on the professor.

"I think you've put on quite the show" started Erina, arms crossed against her chest, eyes fixated on the professor.

"You know teach, if that's really how you feel about her, how about we make a bit of a wager?" said Soma as an almost evil smile appeared on his face. The professor watched as Soma took his left hand out of his pockets and raised it. He closed his hand into a fist and reached for the white headband that was wrapped around his wrist with his right hand.

"Oh is that so, Yukihira-Kun? Tell me, what do you have in mind?" asked the Ice Queen with a sly and sarcastic tone, the same sadistic smile appearing on her face, making the professor tremble. Soma's smile grew even wider as he grabbed the loose end of the headband.

"I'm thinking a Sho-"

"Shokugeki." The entire class froze in shock, along with Erina and Soma who turned towards Megumi. Shock and surprise was scribbled over their face as they stared at Megumi who was now standing up with a calm but fierce expression on her face. Silence infected the room which was then filled with the maniacal laughter of the professor.

"Really?! You of all people?!" laughed the professor, in hopes of trying to discourage the dark blue-haired girl. To his surprise, she was unphased. Deep inside her calm amber eyes was a raging flame, a flame that was ready to burn anything and everything in her path.

"If you're so sure of my incompetence then you should have no problem participating in this Shokugeki, Professor Howitt-San. I'll place my seat on the line for this, or even expulsion. Whichever you prefer, won't phase me in the slightest, Howitt-San" said Megumi. The entire room was frozen in shock at the sudden change of tone. The professor took a step back, unsure of how to handle the situation. The previously timid and easily frightened girl had vanished, and in her place was someone with absolute resolve and confidence. The first ones to snap out of this state of shock were none other than the First Seat and Headmaster herself, a smile growing on both of their faces as the same exact thought crossed their minds in unison.

"Atta girl"

* * *

"E-eh…do you think I was too bold when I said all that?" asked the nervous Megumi as she sat with the rest of the Elite 10 council. They had just arrived for their mandatory daily meeting. All ten members along with the headmaster in sequential order. On Erina's right was Soma, who was still playing with the pen, causing Erina to snatch it from him and confiscate it. From Soma it'd go up the seats, ending with Megumi, the tenth seat, on the left of Erina.

"No, you were right for saying what you did. He did not give you the respect you deserved and therefore you **will** show him no mercy" said Erina who was patting the now anxious Megumi.

"Yeah, you were great! You sounded just like me!" Soma shouted with excitement as he pointed to himself, only to be caught off guard when Megumi started sobbing loudly.

"I think that's the exact thing she was worried about" said Nene as she pushed up her glasses.

'Ohoho, Yukihira-Chin, you've been rubbing off on our little 'ol duckling, haven't you? Oh who knows what trouble she might get into if she continues adopting these habits" teased Kuga, making Megumi sob even louder.

"Tch, honestly you are all such morons. Megumi, what do you get out this Shokugeki, honestly? Whether how you sounded doesn't matter, if there's no tangible gain from this I suggest you back out" scoffed Eizan, who then received a glare from Erina.

"This is for her name and title as a chef, Eizan-San. Not everyone is a money hungry moron like you" said Takumi, in defense of Megumi who gave him a weak smile in return. Eizan sucked his teeth and pushed his glasses up.

"Well, either way, Megumi if you require any assistance, I'm sure I can get some business associates to jud-" Before Eizan could even finish his sentence, everyone within the room gave him a deadly glare, stopping him in his tracks. Eizan simply coughed and looked away as a vein popped up on the side of his forehead.

"Was just offering my two cents" he muttered.

"Well, I don't think it's all that serious! Tadokoro-chan is an amazing chef, and we all know it. She's grown so much in the past year, she's hardly recognizable. I have nothing but the utmost faith in her!" said Isshiki as he gave her a reassuring smile, relieving her. She wiped her eyes and looked around as her heart began to flutter.

"Of course, I have no doubt she'll perform well. She is a member of the Elite 10 after all" added Erina, who had her eyes closed to help contemplate and get her thoughts together. She opened one eye and gave Megumi a friendly smile, encouraging her even more.

"Well, I still say it's a waste of time. Not like the outcome will be any different. What should we do with the teacher once he loses?" said Eizan.

"Oh? I thought you were getting ready to get your dumb rigged judges again?" mocked Nene, forcing a growl out of Eizan.

"Honestly, people just need to stop doubting Tadokoro-Chan. Just because she's flimsy on the outside doesn't mean that she's a bad chef" said Takumi. Megumi gave him a half-hearted smile, unsure of whether it was a compliment or an insult.

"Ooo, after you win can you make me something! I've been missing home and your cooking just always has the sweet homey feel Tadokoro-chan!" shouted Kuga.

"Make your own food, mutt. Let her focus on something actually **worth** her time" scoffed Nene, egging Kuga on.

"I'll shove my foot down that big mouth of yours, skank!" Kuga shouted angrily has he stared down a fuming Nene.

"Die" she responded as Erina and Megumi sighed, followed by the laughter of Isshiki. Megumi looked over to Soma and was caught off guard when he returned her gaze with a confident smile and thumbs up.

"I believe in you Megumi! Kill 'em dead!" he exclaimed. Megumi simply looked around at everyone's reassuring smiles, even Eizan who was still looking off to the side but had a small smile growing on his face. Megumi wiped the last of her tears away and balled her hands into fists and brought them close to her chest.

"Right! Thank you, I promise I'll won't let Soma-Kun and the rest of you down!" she said with the most confidence that she could muster up.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

"Where were you three?!" asked Erina, irritation slowly starting to bubble within her as she saw her Danish cousin casually strolling into the arena with Ryo right by her side and followed by Akira.

"Oh, what's wrong dear cousin? Did I miss another meeting?" Alice asked casually, as if it was no big deal.

"Yes! Yes you did! Honestly, between you and Yukihira-Kun, I'm surprised I'm even here with all the extra work I had to do. For god's sake, even Yukihira-kun came to the last meeting!" she shouted. Alice simply smiled away, as if she didn't hear a word Erina had just said. Ryo just stared ahead with his usual blank expression while Hayama had his eyes closed, as if he was deep in thought. Their ignorance began to push Erina's buttons even further.

"What's your excuse?!" shouted Erina, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, I was visiting mother and father!" exclaimed Alice as she took out her phone and began swiping through all the pictures. Despite Erina's annoyance, she couldn't just ignore the pictures of Uncle and her Aunt.

"I was conducting some research on some rarer spices within Hoikaido" said Hayama. Erina couldn't exactly argue with him since he had informed her of this expedition (though he didn't really wait that long for her answer). Erina let out a sigh and glared at Ryo, raising an eyebrow.

"And what about you?"

"I was just following Ms. Alice around" Ryo said nonchalantly, making Erina sigh even more.

"Anyway! Aren't you excited about this Shokugeki?! I can't wait to see Megumi wipe the floor with this old creep!" exclaimed Alice as she made her way over to where the rest of the Elite 10 council was sitting, followed by Ryo and Hayama.

"I told you we should have fired that Howitt guy. He always gave off a rather suspicious stench" said Hayama. "Besides, are you even sure that Tadokoro-Chan can win this?" Hayama continued. Though he personally didn't have anything against Megumi, he always had small doubts when it came to how she upheld her image as a chef.

"She's strong…" started Ryo as he leaned forwards, surprising everyone with his interest.

"She wouldn't let some small fry like that old guy take her down…she's way stronger than that" he continued, making the rest of the council and Erina herself smile. Suddenly, they turned to see a heavily breathing Hisako, holding Soma by the ear and dragging him by his hair.

"Hishoko, I really don't want to hurt you!" he shouted, trying to free himself from her grip without hurting her or getting his ear and hair torn off.

"Erina-chan, I've brought him here like you asked!" she shouted, gasping for air and taking in a breath between each word before letting him go. Soma simply sat on the floor and rubbed his head, trying to leviate the lingering pain.

"Where were you?!" shouted Erina, annoyed that once again, it was Soma who everyone was waiting on.

"I was trying to get some stuff done at the dorm!" shouted Soma, who stood up and walked over to Megumi, who was writing the strange symbol on her hand repeatedly, something she tends to do whenever she's nervous.

"How're you feeling?" he asked with a smile. Megumi turned around and gave the redhead a worried smile.

"Really, really nervous but…I feel like this is something I have to do! I haven't really proven that I deserve this seat, so I feel like I must win! Of course I have to win anyway but you know…how do I-" Megumi couldn't help but rant whenever she was like this; it was just who she was. To her surprise, a soft but understanding laugh escaped Soma's mouth. He patted her head and smiled reassuringly, looking straight ahead.

"Oh yeah, I definitely get it…" he said with such softness and tenderness. Erina's eyes widened as the same look from a few days ago appeared on his face. But this time, it vanished just as fast as it appeared.

"Anyway, sorry to say but I won't be sticking around!" laughed Soma as horror and even more anxiety appeared on her face.

"W-what?! Why not?!" shouted Megumi, as if the only way she could possibly win was if Soma was around.

"Don't sweat it, you got this! I know you'll win, Megumi. Believe in yourself a little more, we all believe in you, ya know" he said, catching her off guard. A confident smile appeared on her face as she nodded. She made her way towards the exit and just before she walked out of their personal booth, she turned around and gave the rest of her classmates a shaky, but confident. They all nodded and smiled right back at her in reassurance before she made her way out.

* * *

They watched confidently as the announcer, the very well-known, much to the dismay of many females within the academy, Urara Kawashima. She began to bounce up and down with excitement before speaking into the mic.

"Are you alllll ready?! It's me, official Shokugeki emcee of Totsuki Culinary Academy, Urara Kawashima!" shouted the black haired girl as she threw up a V sign next to her face, causing almost all the guys to scream in excitement.

"That's right, we're here with another Shokugeki, but this one is a special one alright! On the left, we have the magnificent and intimidating Professor Howitt-San, one of our esteemed meat specialists!" shouted the emcee, prompting the professor to walk up to the stage in his white chef's outfit. The crowd was filled with boos and no's, irritating the professor.

"On the right side, it's the newest member of our Elite 10 council, one of the top 10 students in our entire academy! Please give it up for Megumi Tadokoro, rising second year and 10th seat!" she shouted as Megumi nervously walked up on the stage, waving. Everyone cheered her on, giving her words of encouragement. Megumi look at them nervously as she heard the emcee swear under her breath, but unable to make out what she said. To Megumi's surprise, she saw the rest of the students from Polar Star and her other friends as well! In order, sat Ryoko Sakaki, Yuki Yoshino, Zenji Marui, Shub Ibusaki, Daigo Aoki, Shoji Sato, Fumio-San, Ikumi Mito, and Kanichi Konishi. A fewer rows up she saw Miyoko Hojo, clapping and giving her a nod of encouragement. Besides Fumio-San, all the students had decided to go back home for the summer, but here they were! They came back just to cheer her on, making Megumi tear up. She then looked up and saw Soma's reassuring smile, but was then surprised when he shook his head.

" _No tears now, you gotta fight!"_ Megumi nodded back in response and wiped away her tears and faced the professor with a powerful, unwavering gaze, catching him off-guard.

* * *

"Well, I'm off. Tell me how it goes, will ya?" said Soma as he turned on his heel shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away towards the exit.

"Uh, excuse me? Where do you think you're going?" Erina asked, pulling him back by his elbow, making Soma nearly lose his balance.

"I just told you guys I can't stick around and watch!" pouted Soma as he repeated for the third time already.

"And why is that exactly?" Erina continued as she inched closer to him with a face of disbelief and lack of faith.

"I have to pack! I'm gonna be heading out of campus for a bit" he said as he turned back away again and walked towards the door once more.

"P-pack?! What the hell Yukihira-Kun, at least Hayama-Kun gave me a 3 days' notice before heading off!" she shouted in confusion.

" _Yet she still yelled at me about where I was"_ thought Hayama.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Don't worry about it, I already know Megumi's gonna win. And besides, I brought someone else over to watch in my place. Took a few missed calls and other peoples' numbers but hey, he's here" Soma said before pointing out the window of the booth, straight ahead. Erina turned around and her eyes widened as she saw just who was in the booth across from theirs.

* * *

The corral-haired male twiddled his silver cross necklace in his fingers as he lounged on the couch, one arm swung over the top and one leg crossed over the other. He watched the blue-haired teen closely and smiled as he began to reminisce. The very girl that he had almost fired and expelled made him a dish that brought him back to the real world; a dish that wasn't perfect in terms of taste or perfect in terms of depth, but perfect in terms of how…serene it was. Tasting that Rainbow Terrine brought him back to why he became a chef, to who inspired him and made him realize his love for cooking.

" _It's been quite some time since your defeat during that Régiment de Cuisine…I know you've been feeling the pressure. I know you've been feeling that doubt eat away at your consciousness. But a true chef…a true chef is someone who's able to emerge victorious no matter what. Someone who'll stare defeat in the face and challenge it again and again until they get that victory they've been longing for…this is your starting line, Megumi Tadokoro. Let's see just how far you've come"_ thought the French specialist as an excited smile spread throughout his face. He pushed up his glasses and watched closely, as the emcee shouted…

"Shokugeki, begin!"

* * *

Soma kneeled over the balcony railing and stared into the starry night sky. The stars were shinning brilliantly, each star trying to outshine its neighbor. The night sky was lit beautifully with a variety of colors. Despite the beauty, Soma found himself closing his eyes. His mind was filled with so many thoughts, so many different scenarios playing through his head. They always started out happy but no matter what the scenario was, he was left with nothing but…a feeling of emptiness.

" _Man, this really sucks…_ " Soma thought as he heaved out a heavy sigh.

"Soma Yukihira out here actually _thinking_ about something. What has this world come to?" said a very familiar voice. A smile crawled onto his face as he opened his eyes and stared back at the sky.

"For someone who doesn't live here anymore, you sure do show up a lot. You sure you don't just miss me?" teased Soma.

"Pfft, the others, sure. You, I could definitely live without for the tens of hundreds of lives" retorted Erina as she walked over and leaned over the railing next to Soma.

"Man, the train of insults never stops, does it?" laughed Soma as he nudged the blonde, a little too hard causing her to slightly lose her balance. Despite that, she remained rather calm and simply continued with their friendly banter.

"I'm pretty sure with all the idiotic antics you have stored up, this train won't ever need to make a stop" she replied, returning his nudge. Normally, she wouldn't allow Soma to act so leisurely around her. After all, she is royalty. But when it was just the two of them, after a long day, it was Erina's personal way to unwind. Though not to Soma's conscious knowledge, they've made it a habit to just talk at the end of every other day. After everything they've been through, though not aware of it, they end up drawn to each other. Whether it started ever since Soma first entered the restaurant that stunk of tension offering a Black Pepper Bun, or when they had their first night-time chat on the train, or during their final tag-team Shokugeki against Eishi Tsukasa and Rindo Koboyashi – neither of them could really figure it out.

"Salmon roe" Soma muttered, confusing Erina.

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

"The stars look like salmon roe again and it's making me hungry" said Soma, who seemed annoyed. Erina was caught off guard and didn't' know how to respond, but soon let out a soft giggle.

"You're such an idiot. Is there ever a time where you don't think about food?" laughed Erina. Soma let out a laugh but didn't respond any further. Erina was unsure of how to continue the conversation, the silence between them made her wonder if she said anything wrong.

" _Why do I even care?! If he doesn't want to talk, that's all him. Why am I even out her-"_ Erina wondered before Soma cut her thought off.

"Aww, did you leave the party just for me? When did you become so caring?" mocked Soma with a sarcastic and deceiving smile.

" _Of course."_

"There's only so much partying that I can handle. Besides, I'm the headmaster; it's not good for someone with so much responsibility to party that much. I doubt you'd know anything about that-Oh wait. You should if you actually took your responsibilities seriously" responded Erina with disdain in her voice, clearly irritated by the extra work she had to handle before coming over to Polar Star to celebrate Megumi's victory.

"Hey, I finished that one paper!"

"Writing 'Just challenge them to a Shokugeki and win the property lols' on a proprietary offer is **not** how you finish a paper" Soma simply looked away and waved his hand and muttered under his breath.

"Whatever you say boss…wait since you're the headmaster shouldn't you be making sure they don't do anything against the rules down there?" asked Soma, catching Erina off guard with his rather logical response.

"W-well, I have faith that they won-"

"Wooow, so you only keep a leash on me? I dunno Nakiri, this special treatment is awfully suspicious" Soma continued to tease as Erina flipped her hair; an art that she has mastered to the fullest.

"I would hardly consider having to babysit my problem student and classmate 'special treatment'" Soma simply ignored her and went on with the idea of getting special treatment, making Erina roll her eyes.

"How'd the Shokugeki go anyway?"

"Well, Megumi obviously won. The theme was meat, go figure. Though Tadokoro-chan did have this one odd mishap…" said Erina, getting Soma's interest as he raised an eyebrow.

"I believe she poured a little too much of some seasoning on the meat at one point and had to start from scratch. She had this brilliant idea, however, of using honey to speed up the time it took to tenderize the meat. Honestly, she's a brillia- h-hey?! What are you laughing about?!" shouted Erina as Soma began to clearly laugh at her, pointing and mocking Erina as he tried his best to not lose his cool.

"I-it's just that…!" started Soma before he busted into a laughing fit., irritating Erina even further.

"Spit it out, peasant!" she demanded, her anger fuming more and more as the seconds pass.

"It's just that she got that 'brilliant' idea from me! That's what I did when some students tried to sabotage our dish during our first class together!" shouted Soma as he was practically rolling on the floor all the while pointing at her. Erina's face was colored a bright shade crimson as she had just realized that her compliment towards Megumi was actually a compliment towards Soma.

"W-well! It was brilliant for Megumi to come up with it so quickly! Not the method itself! Of course, the method would come from such a backwards and outrageous fool from you!" shouted Erina, trying to take back the words she had uttered moments before, but they both knew it was too late. Soma continued to laugh, wiping away a tear from his eye. He soon stopped, ignoring the enraged blonde who was still trying to spout nonsense to cover up her indirect compliment.

"Whatever you say, Nakiri" laughed Soma as he waved his hand, further frustrating Erina. "So what's gonna happen to that Professor Howard guy?" continued Soma.

"Well, first of all, it's Howitt. And I fired him" said Erina, so calm that it frightened Soma.

"Wow Erina, you really are one cold Ice Queen" Soma said, with a look that basically yelled "wow, a little much?" Erina simply scoffed and looked away accompanied with her trademark hair flip.

"Well, it became very much evident that he was still a loyal faithful of my father's ways. Totsuki has no need for someone like him" explained Erina. Soma looked back at her only to see her first confident and merciless expression change to one of sadness and disappointment. One that he recognized easily.

"It's been two months, but my father's evil influences are still clutching onto the academy" sighed Erina as she looked back up to the sky, in search of some kind of answer or way to change the academy back.

"It's gonna take time, Nakiri. I wouldn't sweat it, look at how far we've come and it's all thanks to you!" Soma said, surprising Erina. She didn't expect words of encouragement from Soma. But then she realized, of course Soma would. That's just who Soma is; his charisma, his charm, his incredibly ironic ability to know just what to say when the time calls for it. It's all a part of what makes Soma a truly special jewel among the 92nd generation.

"Besides, look at today! After today's Shokugeki, I'm sure Megumi was able to change the attitude of all the students!" Soma was beaming with confidence, which made Erina smile and let out a small laugh.

"Maybe you're right" said Erina as she stared back up at the sky before her smile faded. She began to bite her lower lip and didn't know how to exactly phrase what she was thinking.

"H-hey, Yukihira-Kun?"

"'Sup?" Soma's eyes were fixated on the sky, as well as Erina's, However, Erina's fixation was more a result of embarrassment to look at him after she asked this next question.

"Y-you seem to call Tadokoro-chan by her…first name a lot. W-why is that?" Inside, Erina was a chaotic mess.

" _What kind of questions is that? Why does it matter? Why should I, of all people, care about how that peasant addresses his acquaintances? Though…could they be more than just acquaintances…?"_ wondered Erina. Her face was ablaze in embarrassment from the thought.

"Oh Megumi? Oh, I just call her by her first name because I'm pretty close to her. She's like a little sister to me" Soma answered with ridiculous ease, compared to how much of a struggle it was for Erina to even ask to question.

"I have a nickname for a lot of the people in our year. There's Nikumi and Hishoko" said Soma as he counted on his fingers. "Why? You want me to start calling you by a nickname too?" asked Soma in a mocking tone as a matching smile grew on his face. Erina huffed and looked away.

"You will address me as Erina Nakiri and only that. I am still your superior, so I refuse to treated like some dog" said Erina with pride as she straightened her posture to look even more high-class.

"Oh, that's fine. I'll probably just call you Erina from now on so I don't have to call Alice Nakiri 2 anymore, she's been pretty uptight about that. Besides…" started Soma, as he turned to Erina and met with her gaze.

"I really like the name Erina" Soma said with a smile. Erina's face was burning red at his sudden statement and their lock-on to each other was nothing helping whatsoever. But to her surprise, Soma didn't disengage at all. He was staring directly at her, right into her bright purple eyes that reflected that stars. Soma found himself frozen, unable to move his gaze. His eyes traveled from her eyes down to her rosy cheeks and to her supple lips before the red hue creeped onto his own face. In an instant, the two looked away simultaneously, staring right back at the sky.

"I-if that's what you feel c-comfortable with, E-Erina is fine…" stuttered Erina, trying to calm down after that intense moment. Then, she took a peek at Soma who let out a small laugh. His face, although not as obviously red, still had a tinge of crimson lingering on his cheeks. His eyes were closed as he gave Erina a bright smile.

"Yeah, Erina's just fine" he said. Erina couldn't help but let out a soft laugh as they both looked back at the starts, reflecting in both of their eyes. However, every now and then, they stole quick glances at each other, both unaware of just how long they had been out.

"So it is…" Erina said softly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The sun's shining rays of light beamed through the glass panes of the balcony door. Relentlessly harassing the sleeping beauty, she decided to just suck it up and pick herself up, now sitting up right. Erina rubbed her eyes and let out a soft but satisfyingly long yawn as she stretched, one arm straight up while the other bent at the elbow. Slowly opening her eyes to adjust to the abundance of light, she looked around and move her hair away from her face. She reached over to her nightstand and grabbed her phone, checking the time.

 _11:43 A.M. Shit._

Erina sighed as she got out of bed and headed over to the bathroom. After the rather extended and alarmingly intense celebratory party for Megumi, she had returned to her office to possibly finish up as much paperwork as possible in a week's advance. She was hoping to have at least one week free to just relax and enjoy the little bit of Summer that was left. Though she had accomplished that goal, she had been up till nearly 5 in the morning. Hisako had begged her to go home and let her handle some of it, but Erina simply insister her to either go enjoy the party or get some rest. As she brushed her teeth, she internally laughed and shook her head.

" _Those idiots, throwing such a huge party for a Shokugeki. Well, I suppose it meant more than that, especially for Tadokoro-chan"_ thought Erina as she spat out the toothpaste and rinsed her mouth. She picked up her phone once again and had just noticed fifteen new notifications…all from Soma Yukihira. She began to look through all the messages, all with a very unamused expression.

 _Hey Erina! Come down, I'm making something special! – 11:09 P.M_

 _Oh, Hishoko just told me that you went to work on stuff. Also tell your aid to stop hitting me, it's just a nickname, there's no big deal! – 11:23 P.M_

 _Hi Nakiri-chan, it's me Hisako. Are you sure you don't require any help?! And please unblock me! – 11:24 P.M_

" _Oh that's right. I forgot I did that. Honestly though, her insistent worrying can only be so flattering"_ thought Erina as she continued to scroll through the messages.

 _Man, she's so handsy, get your own phone, am I right?! Lol anyway, hurry up and get that work finished, I need you to try this right now! Oh and something else, but that's also a surprise, hehe – 11:26 P.M_

 _You still working on that stuff? Man, you're dedicated alright! But uh, hurry it up, I'm almost done here. Hope you aren't losing your touch, headmaster!_ _– 11:47 P.M_

The next several texts were pictures and video messages. The first picture showed a rather gorgeous crème brulee with a beautiful crisp top that was decorated in blueberries and strawberries. The next picture showed the inside of the crème brulee, which looked exquisitely soft and gooey, greatly contrasting its crystalline exterior. The first video showed everyone enjoying Soma's crème brulee; they all had an expression of pure delight, as if they had just tasted the purest of heaven.

" _B-bet I could do better!"_ shouted Takumi from across the room. Soma and Takumi soon both came into view, initiating their daily routine of competitive banter and gloating. Gloating more-so on Takumi's side whereas Soma just casually and nonchalantly refuted back with known facts _._

" _Just kiss already!"_ shouted Alice, who was wobbling side to side farther back in the room. She was obviously anything but sober. Off to the side you could see Megumi's face blush an intense shade of red as the camera shook a bit, leaving Erina to only assume it was Hisako holding the phone.

The next video caught Erina off guard, but then only caused irritation to bubble up inside her, anger ready to explode. The face of delight that was on everyone's face had instantly changed to that one of putrid disgust, some kneeling over ready to throw up while others covered their mouth.

" _Yukihira, what the actual fuck is wrong with you?!"_ shouted Eizan, as she grabbed a laughing Soma by the collar.

" _That embodiment of dog feces really wanted me to try another one of his criminally repulsive dishes?! I should really look into make it an official violation to create something so vile"_ thought Erina as she watched the poor Elite 10 members and Polar Star residents gag in absolute pain.

 _Don't worry! I saved you some crème brulee! And I could just remake the fish egg with milk and strawberry jam just for you! Maybe I should add something else…what do you think? – 12:27 A.M_

 _Wow, you're really working hard, huh? Just sent Hishoko home, please unblock her so she stops messaging me – 1:30 A.M._ The next message was another picture. This time it was a screenshot of Soma's text thread with Hisako. Hisako had been sent him about fourteen messages from 12:25 A.M to 12:26 A.M. Near the bottom of the screen showed the infamous three dots, showing that Hisako was getting ready to send another message. The next screenshot was a shot of Hisako's contact information page on his phone. Near the bottom of the screen was a pop-up that read "You will not receive phone calls, messages, or FaceTime from people on the block list" and in big read letters it said, "Block Contact". Erina chuckled to herself as she continued reading.

 _Alright, I'll get out of your hair for now. Good luck with the rest of your work and don't overwork yourself! : Thumbs Up: - 1:32 A.M_

 _Hey, I'm gonna be off campus for a bit! I made a notice saying that I won't be able to accept any Shokugekis for the next week so if they want to challenge me, they have to wait. I made the notice in your office because I couldn't find a pen and well…I kinda only thought about the notice last minute. And I kinda screwed up the wording of it a couple times, but don't worry! I drafted it on one of your scrap papers that was lying around! Oh well, life goes on – 9:00 A.M._ Erina sighed and rubbed her temples before stared at her lavish bath and shower. She contemplated whether she should take a shower right at this moment or not.

" _I'll probably just check in with Hisako and the other Elite 10s to see how they're holding up on their front. I'll just shower when I get back, no point in doing it now if I'm just going to be out for barely half an hour"_ thought Erina as she walked out of her bathroom.

* * *

"Hisako, calm down. Please, take a breath" said Erina as she was trying to calm down her flustered aid.

"I-I'm so sorry Erina-sama! I'm such a failure, I can't believe I was so careless! This will reflect horribly on you, please forgive me!" shouted Hisako as she flailed her arms in the air. Erina simply sighed while the other Elite 10 members while some awkwardly laughed and other rolled their eyes. Erina shook her head, ignoring how Hisako just referred to her as Erina-sama. Whenever Hisako begins to overreact or overthink, she goes back to their old relationship. Hisako has gotten better at referring to Erina as a friend rather than her master so Erina just brushes it off, knowing it's just a bad habit.

"Please breathe and explain from the beginning, I can't understand you when you're a bumbling mess, Hisako" explained Erina as she gave the tearing Hisako a smile, reassuring her hyperactive friend.

"I-I-…" started Hisako

"Just spit it out already!" sighed Eizan as he was sorting through his share of paper work while Erina shot him a glare that said, "Not helping".

"I lost the last page regarding the official resignation of your grandfather, Senzaemon Nakiri-senpai and you're new position as headmaster…" said Hisako, in a low voice. Erina's face instantly lit up in shock as she shouted-

"What!?" Hisako immediately dropped to her knees and began bowing to Erina. Erina face of shock changed to one of regret as she realized she may have scared Hisako a little too much. She went down and held onto Hisako's sides and helped her up.

"I-I'm sorry Hisako, I didn't mean to yell so loud. But how?! How did you lose it?!" Erina asked in urgency. The smiles of the other Elite 10 members disappeared while a frown took its place as they watched in worry.

"I-I don't know…You had told me to get it ready for mailing and when I reviewed it, I noticed that the last page was missing. It's as if it was ripped out or something…" Erina's mouth opened slightly as if she was about to say something, but then closed immediately. Soon, she began to grit her teeth and closed her eyes, trying to hide the fury. However, everyone sensed the malicious aura emanating from her, and began to watch her twitch more and more furiously as the seconds pass, just as their fear and cautiousness increases.

"Soma…Yukihira…that…absolute…fucking…IDIOT!" the blonde finally let out, startling the others as she viciously swung out her phone and aggressively tapped the phone icon on her contact page for the redhead. As the phone rang, one singular thought occupied the minds of the rest of the students.

" _Rest in Peace, Soma Yukihira"_

As the ringing continued, Erina's irritation and vicious rage rampaged about the room, ensuring no one uttered a single word. Soon the phone stopped ringing, and the voicemail message began to play. Of course, the voicemail message had to be one thing that could further piss of the headmaster.

" _ **Hi! Soma Yukihira here! If I didn't answer your call it's probably because I was busy cooking, or I don't answer strangers! Or I was just too lazy, hahaha"**_ Erina balled her hand into a fist as hearing his obnoxiously carefree laughter hit her nerves more and more. She ended the call before his voicemail message finished and stormed off.

"E-Eri-"was all Hisako could let out before the office door was slammed, allowing an enraged Erina loose on the campus.

* * *

Erina stood in the middle of a nearly run-down shopping district. All the stores had a basic and very" convenient" feel to them rather than the lavish and luxurious shops Erina frequented. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the plain and casual banner above the traditional Japanese sliding shoji doors. Erina thought back to when she found Soma's flyer on the central board, where important dates and club flyers were posted. The "notice" that Soma had worked oh so hard on was sloppily written with a little drawing of his own face in random spots on the paper. It had said:

 ** _"Hey hey guys! Soma Yukihira here, first seat! Sorry but I won't be able to accept and your Shokugekis for the next...week? Yeah, that sounds about right, I'm gonna back home for the week! But I'll be happy to accept them when I'm back! In fact, we can all do the Shokugekis at once. It could be one big Shokugeki party! Anyway, see ya in a week!"_**

" _Restaurant Yukihira huh…For Saiba Jouichiro-san, this is rather…"_ started Erina as she looked around and stared at the other rundown shops and at the onlookers who simply stared at her. They had watched her emerge from the luxurious black limo and automatically knew she was of another world. Some had even closed down their shops, thinking she was one of the very apparent business crusaders that try to force their stores to close down in order to bring up others.

" _Dull."_ Finished Erina as she let out a sigh and stared at the "Closed" sign and then towards the infamous moped that was parked in front. A grimace formed on her face as she walked forward and, with more force than needed, ringed the doorbell and waited.

No answer.

She rang the doorbell again and waited another two or three minutes before she crossed her arms against her chest and repeatedly tapped her toe on the pavement in irritation. However, her tapping stopped once she noticed that the door was slightly slid open.

" _That moron! Trying to run a shop but forgetting to even close the door! Who knows what could have happened, especially in this neighborhood!"_ thought Erina in both anger and disappointment. Although she did approve of the shop, it still was the shop owned by her role model and knowing this was how Soma was treating it just enraged her even more, as if it that was even possible. However, that anger went away as she bit her bottom lip.

" _No! You can't just barge in!"_ thought Erina as she shook her head. She rang the doorbell again and waited patiently for a response.

Nothing.

She looked from side to side and bit her bottom lip. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes shut before grabbing the handle of the door and sliding it to the left. She walked in and shut the door behind her, all while her eyes remained glued shut.

" _Wait! I went in here completely unprepared of what the inside might look like…what if it looks even worse than the outside? What if it was completely trashed because that moron left the door open and someone robbed it?"_ thought Erina as she kept her eyes shut tight. She took in another breath and slowly opened her eyes. Expecting the worst, she let out a small gasp as she found herself mesmerized by the interior. The sun was shining into through the windows magnificently; not too much to blind the customer but just enough to make them comfortable. The wooden tables were surprisingly clean and made from a fine material; incredibly smooth and beautifully crafted. The floor was a crystal-clear navy blue marble floor, giving it a surprisingly fancier than expected taste. As she walked down the middle, she soon found herself in front of the bar. She took a seat, in hopes of getting the full experience. Suddenly, she was surprised as she began to imagine Soma and her father cooking, but not just cooking. They were…smiling. They were having fun, they were enjoying making their dishes, enjoying serving people. They were happy to put a smile on these people's faces, people that were probably complete strangers. They were…happy to serve. But something was off as Erina opened her eyes. There was something missing, there was someone else there.

She got up and made her way around the bar and found herself in the kitchen. The equipment was nothing special; essentials and the occasional brand gear. Most of it was off-brand and rather cheap looking. Though they looked very thoroughly taken care of and cleaned, you could tell they were incredibly used and gone through the usual wear and tear. Erina turned around and stared back out at the restaurant.

She began to imagine herself in their position; serving in a normal special-of-the-day type diner. The shop was nothing special. In fact, although better than expected, it was still nothing to give props to. But…there was something different. Being in the diner at this very moment, she found herself…comforted. There was this welcoming, loving, and comforting feeling that flowed effortlessly around the diner. She could see it now…the smiles of the customers as they walked in. The happy and content chit chatter that filled the diner along with the hearty laughs. She looked around and once again imagined Soma and Saiba cooking and laughing. Soon, she began to envision all the feelings and memories this tiny restaurant contained. The competitions between son and father, the joyous birthdays and celebrations, the fighting spirit this restaurant held to serve another day. The love and care that went into this simple diner gave it such a comforting and beautiful homey feeling. Erina found herself smiling once again as she relaxed her muscles. She soon turned her head to see an unfamiliar figure. A woman with short white hair that reached just below her shoulders. There were some locks of hair that stuck out, not in a messy way but gave her a more enthusiastic and wild appearance. She soon rested her hand on Erina and smiled. In that instant, Erina opened her eyes only to realize she was alone, once again.

" _What…what was that?"_ thought Erina as she scanned the diner. Soon, she found herself locked onto a portrait that rested on the corner of the marble table, near the exit of the kitchen. She walked over to it and picked it up and stared in shock. Her lips slightly parted as she stared at the young woman…the woman whom she had felt the hand of on her shoulders. The very same woman with short white hair. Erina scanned the petite woman and smiled. She looked so…happy. She was throwing up a V sign with her fingers as she held onto a tiny hand with her right hand. She followed the hand to see a rather cute young boy with spiky red hair, mouth open wide in a smile as he held up a V sign with her left hand as well. Erina let out a soft gasp as she realized just who that child was when she looked over to see an even younger Saiba Jouichiro. Though he had shaved and given himself and even younger appearance, he couldn't have been any more than a year younger than when she had met him for the first time.

" _If that's Saiba-san…then that's…Y-Yukihira-kun? And if that's the case then that's…"_ thought Soma as her finger trailed from Soma's father, to Soma. Her mouth turned into a frown as she realized just who the woman was and with that came the realization of what was missing. The empty void within the restaurant that, no matter how happy and loving and comforting the diner was, could never be filled.

"… _Yukihira-kun's mo-"_

"Erina? What are you doing here?" Erina immediately set the portrait down and whipped around, her face burning in embarrassment and horror as she was face to face with a confused Soma who was accompanied by two girls; one with shoulder-length light brown hair and one with short brown hair.

 _ **A\N: Ahh, I finally finished this chapter. Idk I just got distracted a lot with having to do irl stuff and friends wanting to play Overwatch lmaoo. But here you go, I'll try to get the next chapter out tomorrow! Or late night, sleep schedule is already ehehehehehe. Enjoy and review~**_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Erina? What are you doing here?" asked Soma, accompanied by the two brunettes. Erina was frozen in shock, unable to form her thoughts into words. Soma looked at her with a raised eyebrow and started walking towards her.

" _He's coming! What do I do? What's he going to say?! What would I say if someone barged into my home…Oh no…Is he going to be mad?"_ thought Erina.

" _Wait, it was his fault that the door was left open!"_ she continued as Soma slowly approached her with narrow eyes.

" _B-but I should have just closed it instead of walking in…_ " thought Erina. She took a step back once she realized just how close Soma was. Unable to form words, her eyes were locked onto Soma as his stared back at her with an intense glare. Erina couldn't help but feel intimidated and was trying to hide the frenzying storm of embarrassment and fear that was swirling inside her stomach.

"L-listen Yukihira-kun. I know how…this looks bad but I swear I…Uh…I'm so-"started Erina but was interrupted by Soma's touched. She flinched and closed her eyes out of instinct, but soon opened them to see Soma's concerned eyes scanning her.

"You don't seem to be sick…Your face is really red though, maybe it's too hot in here? I could turn the air on" Soma muttered to himself as he rested his hand on Erina's forehead, trying to get a read on her temperature.

"Hmm…maybe if I do this…" continued Soma as leaned forward and rested his own forehead against hers, making Erina quiver in complete shock and incapable of forming words. As per usual, however, her expression of fluster was soon turned into one of anger as she closed her eyes and began to twitch.

"You…idiot! Get off me!" shouted Erina, grabbing Soma by his cheeks and pulling them.

"How dare you get so close to me and touch me in such a casual way?! Have you no decency, especially in front of…your company?!" shouted Erina as she continued to pull Soma's cheeks. Her anger was boiling over as she realized how pointless it was to overthink when it's pertaining to this boy. To make her, feel guilt and fear just for his own enjoyment, sitting there toying with her feelings!

"Oh, them? They'we just my fweinds" said Soma, trying to form his words properly as Erina viciously gripped onto his cheeks and pulled them apart. Erina soon stopped, hands still tightly pinching the redhead's cheeks much to his dismay and glanced over at the two girls who were watching the very confusing and questionable scene unfold with a mix of confusion, horror, and embarrassment written all over their faces. Erina released Soma's swollen cheeks and began to pat down her skirt, dusting it off and cleared her throat.

"Ahem, well. It'd be nice if you introduced me to your…" started Erina but was unsure how to finish the sentence.

" _Competitors? Or maybe one of them is his…or maybe they both are?!"_ thought Erina. She began to blush again as her thoughts went rampant.

"Oh, yeah! Erina Nakiri, meet Mayumi and Aki! I guess they're like my childhood friends" said Soma with a wide smile. Aki looked over to Mayumi, who had her head down. Aki sighed, walked forward and waved with a smile.

"Hi! My name is Aki Koganei! This here-" started the light brown haired girl as she pulled the more timid and frightened one to her side.

"This is Mayumi Kurase!" Aki said with as much enthusiasm as possible.

"N-nice to meet you, Nakiri-chan" said Mayumi as she fidgeted and stuttered, trying to hide her shyness. She was picking at her skirt and flattening, trying to avoid eye contact. Soma watched the three and sighed at the awkward tension.

" _Erina may have gotten better, but I doubt she'll warm up to them so easily. She'll probably go on one of her royalty rants and go on about commoners and wha-"thought_ Soma before his eyes widened in shock.

Erina stepped forward and held out her hand. The two girls stared at her hand with shock and bewilderment, then fixed their gaze on the soft and welcoming smile on the honey blonde's face.

"Greetings, my name is Erina Nakiri. It's a pleasure to meet you two, Koganei-chan and Kurase-chan" Erina said, mesmerizing the two with her angelic voice. Soon, a smile spread on their faces as they walked forward and took turns shaking Erina's hand. Soma watched in shock but then smiled.

" _Guess even the Ice Queen melts sometimes"_ thought Soma. Soon, she felt a hard slap on the back of his head.

"Yukihira-kun, stop giving these two such a perverted smile. Honestly, you really are foreign to the concept of manners" scolded Erina, as Soma shot back up and began to rub the back of his head.

"The hell was that for?! Man, and here I thought the Ice Queen had finally shed her frozen veil for once!" shouted Soma, causing Erina to gasp.

"How dare you call me such a thing in front of these two! You will apologize to your headmaster right now and address me with proper respect and etiquette!" shouted Erina, catching the Aki and Mayumi off-guard.

"H-headmaster?! W-wait, are you from Totsuki Culinary Academy as well?!" asked Mayumi.

"And aren't you a bit young to be the headmaster?!" shouted Aki, who was rewarded with more questions instead of answers. Soma sighed and rubbed the back of his head as Erina combed out her hair with her fingers.

"Well, its quite a long stor-" started Erina before the entrance opened up again as a loud ringing coursed through the air.

"I-is it actually open?!" shouted one middle-aged man, with short black hair.

"We heard some noise in here and thought someone was trying to rob it, but it's you Soma!" shouted another man who was slightly younger with long brown hair.

"Is that really you, Soma?! Oh my, look at how much you've grown!" said a lady with long blonde hair that dropped below her shoulders.

"W-well? Are you open?!" asked another man, his voice filled with hope and excitement. Erina, Aki, and Mayumi all looked towards Soma, who had his head down. Suddenly, he lifted his head up to reveal his grin that reached from ear to ear. He untied the headband from his wrist and tightly wrapped it around his forehead. He turned around and grabbed the apron and tightened it around his wrist. Everyone watched in awe, especially the three young ladies. The normal vision they saw was of Soma's father; but they saw something different. As they watched Soma don his famous white apron, they saw the broad strong back of a chef that would go on to become a legend in the culinary world.

"Alright! For a limited time, Restaurant Yukihira is open!" announced Soma as he started up the stove. The crowd cheered and flooded in, taking their seats and awaited the redhead in excitement and glee. Erina watched the customers smile and talk in anticipation, waiting for the exquisite taste to reach them once again. A smile grew on her face as she looked around, and stared back at Soma, who was already taking out ingredients.

" _Maybe that void isn't as empty as I thought it was"_ thought Erina as she felt the warming and comforting presence fill the room. She was brought back from her daydream when Soma snapped his fingers in front of her, Mayumi, and Aki.

"I might need your help on this. Those people are waiting, make sure they have everything they need set on their tables! Erina, you're with me, we need to get these orders out ASAP" said Soma as he tossed Erina and apron. Erina just barely managed to catch it as it fumbled in her hands.

"Excuse me?! Who are you to order me around?!" argued Erina as Soma turned his back to her. He looked over his shoulder and shot her a cheeky smile, further aggravating the blonde.

"My restaurant, my rules" Soma said with a cocky attitude. Erina simply puffed and put the apron on.

"Hmph, technically it's Jouichiro-san's restaurant, not yours" said Erina as she made her way behind the counter and washed her hands.

"Whatever" scoffed Soma as he began to pour four eggs onto four different frying pans, simultaneously.

"Wait, how do you know what you're cooking? You haven't even tak-"

"I've been serving these people since I was 3, Erina. I know exactly what they want" said Soma, shocking Erina as his eyes remained fixated on the food cooking in front of him, all the meanwhile a confident smile grew on his face. Erina smiled back; of course, he was like this. Cooking was ethereal to him. Whenever he cooked, whether it's for Shokugeki or for his friends or even just for fun. It didn't matter the occasion, no matter how serious or high stakes it could be.

He had fun.

* * *

Soma untied his headband and let out a sigh, before shooting the remaining customers a smile, who were too busy being in their own personal paradise to even notice.

"Happy to serve!" Soma exclaimed, followed by the sighs of relief from the extremely satisfied customers. Erina let out a sigh of relief as the last of the customers exited the store and began to unite her apron.

" _That was…intense. Any normal chef would have broken under the pressure of it all by the end of the first hour. Even I was testing my skills on how fast I could learn a recipe and how fast I could prepare it. But Yukihira-kun…"_ thought Erina as she looked over to Soma, who was turning over the sign to say "Closed". He turned around and wiped the sweat off his forehead and let out a sigh. He looked over to Mayumi and Aki, who were wiping down the tables and gave them thumbs up.

"Thanks a bunch, guys! You really killed it out there! Especially you Erina, you caught on quick" Soma exclaimed with a smile as he retied the headband around his wrist. Erina scoffed and looked away as if she was offended.

"Did you have any doubts that I would?"

"Guess not" laughed Soma as he made his way behind the counter and tied up the full trash bag. "I'm gonna take this out to the front with all the other trash bags in the back. Hold down the fort while I'm gone, will ya?" Before any of them could answer, Soma was already gone. Erina let out a sigh as she washed her hands. Aki and Mayumi watched her all while whispering among each other.

"Do you think they're dating or something?" whispered Aki, making Mayumi's face go red.

"W-what?! I-I don't know…they seem really close and I don't know…I'm not saying Soma is bad looking but look at her…she's like a princess straight out of a fairy tale story" said Mayumi as she looked down. She then looked back up, trying to avoid worrying her friend.

"B-besides…she said she's the headmaster? Would you even be able to…you know…" started Mayumi. As much as she would think that she was over her crush on Soma, she's never said it out loud. After all, if she admitted it, then it would _have_ to be true, no? And going by that logic, if she admitted that there was a chance that they were dating, it would at least give it the _chance_ to be true.

"Is something wrong?" Aki and Mayumi were startled by Erina's sudden question, turning back to her. She had a confused expression on her face which soon changed into a comforting smile.

"W-we were just wondering, what did you mean exactly when you say you're the headmaster?" asked Aki as she set down the washcloth she was cleaning the tables with and took a seat. Erina let out a nervous laugh and looked down at her hands.

"Well, where do I begin?" she asked nervously. Mayumi sat down as well and stared at her intently, awaiting her answer.

"Well, I'm come from the illustrious Nakiri family. I come from a very wealthy and prestigious background, and that was only amplified with my natural gift of the 'God's Tongue'" explained Erina.

"God's Tongue? What's that?" asked Aki.

"It's something that I was gifted with since birth. I'm able to accurately judge a food's quality and distinguish every ingredient within said dish and how it was prepared" Erina smiled and bathed in the oo's and ahh's coming from Mayumi and Aki. However, her confident smile once faded as she continued with her story.

"But…my father wanted to take advantage of that gift. He wanted to impose his own cooking ideals onto the world and attempted to manipulate me to obey his ideals. He at one point overthrew my grandfather and took the mantle as the new headmaster. With the most well-renowned and respected cooking institution under his control, it was only a matter of time before his ideals spread throughout the world" continued Erina. Mayumi and Aki watched her intently, unable to say a word as they watched as sadness overtook the young blonde's face.

"He…he used me. He tried to use me for his own gains. I was truly, truly horrified of him and back then, I couldn't do a thing to fight back…I thought it was meaningless to fight back…" continued Erina as pain and angst shook her voice, making it harder to form words. To both Aki's and Erina's surprise, Mayumi was holding onto Erina's face. The one timid and shy girl was now holding onto Erina's shaking hands tightly, giving her a look of reassurance and safety. Erina smiled back at her while Aki gave Mayumi a proud smile.

"But then…Yukihira-kun changed everything. He showed me a different way of cooking. He showed me how to have fun again. He showed me just how incredibly exhilarating it was to cook again. He along with others fought for and with me to prevent the plague that my father was trying to spread go out even further than it already had…and we won" Erina said as a smile grew back on her face.

"We beat my father and exiled him from the school. But that left us without a headmaster and my grandfather did not wish to return as the headmaster. So, he asked Yukihira-kun, who was just appointed First Seat of the Elite 10, who should be the new headmaster and he responded that it should be me" said Erina, laughing at the memory.

"Elite 10? What does 'First Seat' mean?" asked Aki.

"Oh, he didn't tell you? Well the Elite 10 is a special council that play a huge role in running Totsuki. They're given more freedoms and their authority is only second to that of the headmaster. It's comprised of the top 10 best students" explained Erina, making Mayumi and Aki jump out of their seats.

"Wait, if that's the case…" started Aki.

"Does that mean that Soma's the best chef in the entire academy?!" finished Mayumi. Erina let out a nervous laughter and nodded.

"Well, technically yes it does" she laughed. Mayumi and Aki smiled brightly as each other than back to her.

"I'm so proud of him! I'm sure he made a great decision when making you headmaster!" shouted Aki. Erina laughed and then looked down nervously, surprising the two girls.

"If I'm going to be honest, I'm not so sure. At the end of the day, I'm not my grandfather or my father. I don't have any ideals that I want to follow yet, so I feel that I'm just leading blindly" The two girls looked back at each other and realized they might have said something wrong. Erina shook her head then smiled back at them.

"O-oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to sound so down and ruin the mood" Erina said, trying to smile past it.

"I think Yukihira-kun really does think you were a great decision" said Mayumi. Erina and Aki looked back at her, surprised by her confidence.

"I mean, look at you two! You two seem really close and he really does have a lot of faith in you. I mean, while we were working and trying to serve everyone, he'd constantly check in with you to give taste test of the dish before serving it! He'd never do that with his dad, but with you…" Mayumi paused briefly, unable to collect her thoughts.

"With you, it's like he looks up to you. Besides, I've known Yukihira-kun for a long time. Yeah, he does sometimes go out of his way to help others but…it's different with you. The way he acts when you're around compared to how he usually acts…" Mayumi was trying her hardest to hold her tears back. She knew that her crush on Soma would never grow to anything more than that; a crush. Aki stared at her brunette friend lovingly and with care as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"He seems much more alive when you're around" Mayumi said finally as she held her head up, smiling at Erina. Erina was blushing profusely, unable to comprehend what Soma's childhood friend was telling her. Did he really think of her so highly? Did he really act differently? Is it that noticeable and she's just as dense as he is? Erina had so many thoughts racing through her head, none of them reaching a concluding answer before they heard the front door open. The three girls turned to stare at the redhead who reciprocated with a confused and blank look.

"Eh? What I do? Something on my face?" asked Soma as he pointed at himself and whipped out his phone and proceeded to check his face and teeth. Then he looked back at Erina, who was trying her hardest to avoid eye-contact with him, concerning him even more. His gaze then adjusted to Mayumi. His eyes slightly widened as he stared at her…vulnerability. She looked as if she was about to burst into tears. She began to avoid eye contact with him, further worrying him.

"H-hey May-"started Soma but was then cut off by Aki.

"So Yukihira-kun! I heard you're the First Seat! You're the best of the best, we're so proud of you!" shouted Aki, desperately trying to lift the heavy tension that was crushing the four teens. Soma looked stared back at her in surprise then back to Mayumi, who had just rubbed her eyes and was smiling back at Soma.

"Oh, so you heard about that, huh?" asked Soma as he scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah! You've only been there for one year and you're already at the top! Maybe you could challenge Yukihira-san soon!" exclaimed Mayumi was trying her best to smile brilliantly for her friend. To their surprise, Soma didn't seem as enthusiastic as they were expecting him to be.

"Hah, it's not that simple" he muttered with a short laugh. The three stood there in silence, unsure of how to respond.

"But man! You should see me go at it, I totally kick ass!" Soma shouted as he held his fists up and threw play punches. Erina, Mayumi, and Aki stared at him, unable to comprehend the sudden mood swing.

"Oh man, there was this one girl Nikumi! You remember her, right Mayumi? She was the first person I even challenged to a Shokugeki!" Soma continued, as he pointed to Mayumi.

"O-oh, Mito-chan!" exclaimed Mayumi as she recalled the time when Soma had returned and saved Yuya Tomita's business by creating a new karaage dish with help of the Meat Master herself.

"Man, but there was this one guy that really got on my nerves when I first met him. He was an alumni and he had such an obnoxious and bossy attitude, and I challenged him to a Shokugeki too! But I lost completely, almost got expelled!" said Soma in an annoyed tone as he pouted, making Mayumi and Aki shout in utter disbelief.

"W-what?! You got expelled?!" shouted the two in unison.

"Oh no, the Shokugeki was a draw officially but man, anything but a total victory is a loss. It's all cool though, we're super chill now! As much as he doesn't want to admit it, we're like best buddies!" Soma exclaimed as he pulled up a picture of him and Shinomiya.

"That's Shinomiya-senpai" said Soma as he pointed towards the corral-haired man, who appeared to be in his early 20s. His slim but tall and lean build combined with his naturally charming looks, his perfect and relaxed smile, and his confident and daring expression had the two brunettes swooning.

" _Does everyone in Totsuki look so attractive?!"_ thought the two as they swiped, only to find a picture of the same man who was originally so calm grabbing none other than Soma by the collar with anger and frustration glowing on his face. Soma, of course, was smiling and unphased as he was being lifted up off the ground by the enraged mentor. Mayumi and Aki just awkwardly laughed as Soma went on about his time at Totsuki. Erina smiled and watched the three, hearing the cheers and dramatic gasps in response to Soma's stories. She pulled out her phone and her eyes widened at the time.

9:30 P.M! She scrolled down to and sighed as she scrolled past the hundreds of texts that Hisako had sent her. As much as she loved Hisako, she couldn't have bothered. She clicked the tiny "x" and cleared all her notifications.

"Wait, that reminds me, Erina" Erina looked up at Soma who was now inches away from her again, scaring her.

"W-what?" asked Erina, trying to stop herself from blushing.

"Why are you here again?" Soma asked as he scratched his head. Erina let out a sigh of relief but then wondered herself.

Why was she here again?

But then it hit her. As her memory restored itself, so did her fiery rage. Mayumi and Aki backed away as Erina's once soothe and content face scrunched up into one of pure hatred and malice as she grabbed Soma by the collar and brought him close.

"Because you decided to take one very important document, so you could scribble your stupid drafts for your half-assed notice! That wasn't notice didn't even go through the official process! What the actual hell is wrong you with, you ignorant, irresponsible, unbearable, obnoxious, disgusting-"shouted Erina, continuing her onslaught of insults.

"M-maybe it's time we head out, r-right Mayumi?!" shouted Aki as she set down her apron and grabbed her jacket, quickly making her way to the door alongside Mayumi.

"Y-yeah, we'll see you tomorrow Yukihira-kun! It was n-nice meeting you Nakiri-chan!" shouted Mayumi as the two bolted out the door, racing away from the impending crime scene.

"Oh! That paper, I just grabbed the first thing I saw and ripped it off, my bad! Don't worry, I still have it!" Soma exclaimed happily, completely ignoring the vicious barrage of insults that Erina was dishing out. He ran over to his duffel bag that he had set behind the kitchen counter and opened it. He reached in and brought out a crumpled piece of paper. He turned it around and let out a very long "ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh", as the realization of just how important the paper he had mistaken for scrap paper was. He handed it to Erina with a smile as she looked at it and then back to Soma, her eyes as sharp as the butcher knife that laid on the counter. If looks could kill, Soma's body would be sprawled across the floor, lifeless and into pieces.

"Alright, alright, I'll make a copy of it, don't blow a blood vessel" mocked Soma as he set the paper down on the counter before stretching. Erina let out a sigh as she pulled out her phone once again.

"Well, I better call someone to drive me. I hope there's still someone available, if not I'll just have to take a cab service or something. Make sure you bring the cop-hey!" Erina shouted as Soma took the smartphone out of her hands and held it above his head.

"Give that back you wretched fool!" she shouted as she jumped for it but was unable to reach it.

"Ouch, I almost felt that one" Soma mocked with a sly smile on his face, further irritating the blonde. "Anyway, it's too late for you to be out there. You'll just have to stay put here" Soma said as he kept the phone out of the blonde's reach who was desperately hopping for it.

"Soma Yukihira, as your headmaster you will hand me my phone right this instant" demanded Erina who had started to pout. Just then, the phone rang, playing a very familiar ringtone.

"Oh, hey! You were humming this that one time I pushed you down on the floor! "Spice", right?! I love this song!" shouted Soma as the tapped the end call button.

"C-can you not speak of that in such a humiliating-hey wait! Why'd you decline the call?!" shouted Erina.

"Calm down, princess. It was just Hishoko, and I doubt you want to hear her desperate wails right now" snickered Soma. Despite how much he loved and appreciated Hisako as a friend, he knew just how overbearing she could be. Erina looked away, refusing to admit that what he was saying wasn't exactly false.

"Yukihira-kun, just give me my phone right now!"

"Nope. It's way too late right now and I'm not going to have you waiting around for that, let alone wait around to get into some random guy's cab. You've heard the stories of how people have gotten kidnapped and turned into vampires and zombies! Or even human experiments, like that one creepy centipede thing!" exclaimed Soma. Erina looked at Soma, completely baffled by either his terrible jokes or his extreme gullibility.

"Honestly, Yukihira-kun, it's alright. I can take care of myself"

"Not hearing it"

"Yukihira-kun"

"Lalala, I don't hear you!"

"Yukihira-kun, I'm not messing around anymore!" Erina shouted. Despite her increased sensitivity to Soma's antics, she always was able to keep herself in check. However, she could feel her temper boiling over, getting ready to just explode.

"Man, it sure is chilly in here, you feel that, Erina?"

"God damn it Soma, you're so annoying!" she screamed in frustration. Utter silence filled the room aside from Erina's heavy breathing as she desperately tried to catch her breath. Soma dropped his arm to his side and stared at Erina, unsure of what to say. As Erina's breath finally returned, she took a quick glance at Soma's unsure expression. For once, he was speechless and despite Erina's original desires, it felt eerie and unnatural. Only one thought crossed her mind; did she go too far?

" _I shouldn't have shouted like that…He was just…. he just wanted to make sure I was safe"_ thought Erina as she bit her bottom lip.

"I-I'm…" started Erina as she held her hands behind her back and shifted nervously from side to side.

"…sorry. If it worries you that much, I'll stay…" finished Erina as she kept her gaze to the side, trying to avoid eye-contact. She knew he noticed. She knew her cheeks were tinted with a deep maroon color that was only spreading throughout her entire face. Mustering up enough courage, she turned towards Soma and looked down at her feet.

"Also…sorry for calling you by your first name. I didn't mean to be so disrespectful, I know you didn't give me permission to-"started Erina.

"Huh?" Erina looked up and to her surprise was greeted with an equally as flustered face. "O-oh, sorry about that. I kind of zoned out for a bit" Soma said as he looked away, scratching the back of his head. Normally, Erina would be livid. She would be fuming at the seams that her apology went ignored, but not right now. She was more taken aback by Soma's crimson blush that had settled onto his cheeks, glowing even redder as the seconds went by.

"But uh…don't worry about it, ya know? If I can call you Erina then there's no reason that you shouldn't be able to call me Soma" said Soma, as he let out a comforting laugh.

"Is that really okay?" asked Erina, who had stepped closer. Though her face was still tinged with red, she had a look of confidence and certainty in her eyes, catching Soma off guard as her gaze locked onto his.

"Uh, yeah, it's no big deal" Soma said with a nervous laughter. However, Erina didn't budge. Her eyes were still locked onto his, staring deep into him. They were merely inches away from each other and they both had a million thoughts racing through their head. Despite this, silence overtook the two chefs-in-training as time froze still.

"H-hey Erina…" started Soma, his focus glued onto Erina's wide violet eyes, then down to her full, smooth lips, then down to her neck and collar bone. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop his eyes from ravaging the blonde's body.

"Yeah, Soma?" she asked softly. Soma was baffled by his inability to think clearly. All of the sudden, her voice was that of a siren; something angelic and seductive, dangerously so.

"Uh, well, I was gonna say…" started Soma, but in fact, Soma didn't know what he wanted to say. He was too entranced by Erina's presence.

" _I have to say something, anything…_ " thought Soma.

"W-well, you smell kinda weird, so I was wondering if you wanted to use the shower or not?" said Soma. As soon, as he said that, it was as if glass was shattered. They both stood there, completely baffled by what Soma said. Erina took a step back and let out a nervous cough.

"W-well now that you mention it…" started Erina. To Soma's surprise, Erina didn't revolt back at him or yell.

" _I wasn't expecting to be put in this situation…I should have taken a shower in the morning after all"_ thought Erina.

"Very well, please tell me where your restroom is" Erina said as she straightened her hair out.

"Uh, sure. Just go up the stairs and go straight past the living room and take go into the first door on your left" Soma said. Erina nodded and turned on her heel as she made her way to the staircase. She paused briefly and turned to Soma with a soft and warm smile, surprising the red-head.

"Thanks…Soma" And just like that, she made her way up the stairs and was gone. Soma let out a sigh of relief and once he was sure she was gone, a very moronic and confused look appeared on his face as she scratched his head.

"Man, I know she was angry and all that but…she looked so…" Soma started in a low voice before his face burned red once again. He slapped his hands on both of his cheeks and looked straight ahead.

" _The hell is wrong with me, that's my boss! Well, my friend. Close friend. Yeah…right?"_ thought Soma as he groaned and slumped onto the floor, ruffling his hair.

* * *

Erina slipped out of her clothes and placed them neatly on the marble counter and turned the knob to get the perfectly warm but not scalding hot water. She walked in and a sigh of relief escaped her lips as the warm water touched her body. She crossed her arms against her chest, opened her eyes, and looked up.

" _How did I get myself into this situation…"_ thought Erina. Her thoughts went wild, but they all had one time in common; the overconfident, obnoxious, kind, and caring red head. A smile grew on her face as she recalled working beside him today; the way he interacted with the customers so casually, the way he made everyone laugh and smile, and most importantly, his own smile as he cooked passionately. It didn't matter if the dishes were simple, but the fact that he was cooking to satisfy not only himself but others…it was a feeling that Soma could never get tired of. Erina chucked to herself and closed her eyes. However, her smile soon faded as her thoughts went back to what Soma had just said.

"… _Did that douche say I smelled bad?!"_ thought Erina, as she tightened her hands into a fist and growled angrily.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Hey Erina, I'm leaving some of my old clothes out here!" shouted Soma as he hung the plastic bag on the doorknob. Inside it was a teal t-shirt with the white Restaurant Yukihira symbol on the right chest portion and a bigger version of the symbol on the back. Alongside it were white shorts that Soma outgrew, not physically, just that his liking towards shorts lessened as he got older.

"W-what?! Why would I wear y-your clothes?!" she shouted after turning the knob to the right, shutting off the shower. As she got out of the tub, she clumsily slipped and fell, sending a loud crash echoing throughout the bathroom, sending other hygienic products into the air.

"Yo, you good in there?! Should I com-"

"No! Don't you dare open that door Soma! If you even lay a finger on that damn kn-"

"I got it, I got it! I'm walking away, just hurry up already!" shouted Soma as he casually walked away. As soon as Erina heard his footsteps fade away, she quickly opened the door, swiped the plastic bag off the knob, and slammed the door even quicker.

"That idiot…" muttered Erina as she picked the shirt out of the bag and unfolded it.

"Doesn't he know how awkward it is for a girl to just wearing a boy's clothes when they're not even…" continued Erina before shaking her head, trying to stop the thought right there.

" _Let's NOT go into detail with that"_ she sighed. She slipped on the shirt and looked in the mirror. Contrary to her expectations, she liked it. It was a nice baggy shirt, obviously meant for Soma's much more muscular frame. Though she did workout a lot, it was more-so cardio and lower-body training, with a hint of abdomen. Soma, however, was surprisingly a lot more active than he led on. Erina's mind soon trailed off to the sweaty image of Soma back when she had barged in. Soma's surprisingly sculpted abs, his lean muscular arms, his broad shoulders…

" _The hell? No, no, no, let's not go back to that"_ thought Erina angrily as she put on the white shorts. Though a little baggy, it wasn't impossible to walk around in, and thankfully the shirt was just the right length to cover anything up in case any accident occurred. She walked out the bathroom, still drying her hair with the towel. She made her way around the corner and noticed a very alluring aroma filling her nostrils. She followed it to a countertop that also doubled as a opening to the kitchen. From the outside, she was able to see Soma taking out roasted pork belly. He turned to Erina, smiled and tossed her the knife. Erina gasped and dropped the towel, catching the knife in return.

"Are you mental?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" shouted Erina, jarred from the fact that Soma just casually tossed the cooking utensil, effectively turning it into a weapon.

"What? That's how my dad and I always share tools" said Soma, who was genuinely confused for all the wrong reasons.

"Anyway, I'm gonna take a shower now, you can take over for me!" shouted Soma as he made his way towards the exit.

"W-what? How am I supposed to finish your dinner?" shouted Erina who was still recovering from the reportable assault that Soma just committed.

"Oh come on, we've done this before. Remember the train? Anyway, have fun!" Soma said as he jogged in place before taking off. Erina simply sighed as she made her way over to the pork belly and the bowl with the mixture of sauces.

"Good grief, that moron really doesn't have an ounce of common sense" Erina muttered as she looked over at the sauce and the boiling noodles.

" _Char Siu Ramen, huh?"_ thought Erina as she tasted the sauce. The sweetness and saltiness combusted the instant it made contact with Erina's taste buds, each sauce and seasoning going unnoticed by the God Tongue. But…it seemed to be missing something. It was fantastic, but it was missing that…signature kick that screamed "Soma Yukihira!". She then looked over to the jar next the stove where the ingredients for the broth were prepared. Walking over to the jar, she picked it up and smiled.

"Voila"

* * *

Erina had just finished the Char Siu Ramen. She filled two bowls up with the broth and added the boiled noodles. Afterwards, she very carefully added four meat slices on top as well as a half-cut egg alongside the chopped scallions and pickled ginger. She placed two chopsticks on top of two paper towels that were folded, due to the lack of proper napkins. Soon, she heard a humming sound coming down the hallway, a tune that she was all too familiar with.

"Oh, hey! Wow, you finished it already? I don't know if I'm surprised or not" said Soma as furiously dried his hair, the large towel covering the majority of his face.

"Of course, I did, you were taking an eternity in the shower" scoffed Erina as she looked at the clock on the wall right above the large opening that revealed the kitchen. 12:47 A.M.

"Is this any time to be eating dinner, anyway? You of all people should be aware of the dangers of eating at such abnormal times; it can affect the way your body dig-"started Erina before Soma interrupted her.

"Last I recalled, you're the one who almost took an hour and a half to shower" Soma retorted back with a snarky tone. Erina was just barely able to see his snicker, which was more than enough to set her twitch off.

"Man, you twitch a lot when I'm around, ya know that?" pointed out Soma, unable to connect the dots as to why that exactly is.

"Jeez, I wonder why? Obviously not because of buffoon-like antics? Or your obnoxious loud mouth? Or maybe your grotesque cockiness?" Erina said, her voice getting louder and louder after every suggestion.

"I thought we were talking about me, not you" Soma said with a calm and genuinely confused tone. Erina's eyes widened as her mouth gaped open, left completely and utterly shocked at Soma's response. Just as she was about to scold him, Soma finished drying his hair and brought the towel to his side.

"I'm kidding, I'm just kidding! Man, you're so easy to tease, ya know that?" laughed Soma. Erina didn't hear any of it though. She was locked into a trance set upon her by none other than Soma Yukihira. The way his hair was still held traces of moisture as it was being held down, not as voluminous and spiky as usual. Instead, his hair framed his face perfectly. And his eyes…the way they stared back at hers. They were narrowed, but there was no sign of seriousness or urgency. Instead, they were laid back and almost seductively staring back at her. His cocky smile which usually irritated Erina to no end was rather…charming.

"Yoouuu hooo,, I'm sorry, kay? Didn't think it'd annoy you that much" laughed Soma, unlocking Erina from his unconscious hypnotization. Erina shook her head and took a seat.

"W-whatever. Just hurry up, dinner's getting cold and I don't intend to cook for you again. Honestly, you should have been preparing this earlier, making your guest finish your chores is just rude" scoffed Erina as she split her chopsticks apart.

"Hey, I just had an urge to cook, ya know. Was getting bored anyway" Soma said as he took a seat as well and in the same manner split the chopsticks apart. He clapped his hands together excitedly and smiled while Erina calmly put her hands together.

"Itadakimasu!" Soma shouted with a wide smile.

"Itadakimasu" Erina said in a much more calm and proper tone. Erina waited patiently, watching Soma pick up the noodles and slurp it up a little too quickly. He began to cough, surprising Erina. Just as Erina got up, Soma held his hand out, telling her to stop.

"I'm good, I'm good! I just got a bit excited" laughed Soma. Erina rolled her eyes in response and sat back down. Her attention locked back onto Soma as he grabbed a piece of the pork belly with the chopsticks. Erina's watched painfully, as if Soma was trying his best to be as slow as possible. He blew on the piece of meat gently, trying to cool it down. At last, he dropped the piece of meat onto his tongue and began to chew.

Though not physically visible, Soma could barely contain his absolute shock. The spiciness that danced across his tongue was suddenly put to a hold as a angelic sweetness overtook it, without a battle. In fact, the two flavors were harmoniously dancing. And as if that wasn't enough, a light salt taste began to sneak up behind the dancing flavors, never overtaking it but always lurking in the shadows. The three flavors spread across his tongue as he chewed the surprisingly crispy but also tender meat.

Erina anxiously awaited Soma's verdict; he had shown no physical emotion which although didn't worry her too much, it was still a rather unpleasant reaction. Suddenly, the red-head opened his eyes and smiled back at blonde.

"I never knew you had that kinda messy side, Erinacchi" Soma said mockingly, catching Erina off guard.

"Wha-! What did I say about nicknames? Besides, only specific people can call me that!" shouted Erina.

"Aww, come on. It's fun to say though, come on, try it Erinacchi" continued Soma, making sure to add an extra stretch to the nickname.

"Just tell me what you thought of the dish, jackass" scoffed Erina as she tried her best to stay in her seat and not knock the redhead out.

"You used peanut butter, didn't you?" Soma said, with a sly and cocky smile.

"Satay sauce, to be specific but yes, yes I did" Erina corrected, trying to avoid simplifying her idea.

"Uh-huh. You threw the satay sauce into the mix of sauces for the pork belly. And, you also lined the pork belly with bacon bits to add in a little saltine to balance the flavors out a bit, didn't you?" Soma said as he realized where that crisp was coming from.

"Well, we hadn't eaten all day so I figured adding a little more heartiness wouldn't hurt anyone" the blonde said as she slurped up the noodles, much more gently than Soma.

"You also made sure the broth was lighter, so it didn't make the flavors compete too much. Who would have thought that the great Erina would take the good ol Yukihira Style for a spin" laughed Soma as Erina nodded her head, taking a bite of the meat.

"Hardly. I simply altered the flavors to create a different balance. Your pathetic excuse of a 'style' is much more chaotic and I prefer to not be associated with such a disorderly fashion" Erina said with deadly sophistication and pride, not even batting an eye at the snickering boy across from her.

"Whatever you say, Erina. Either way, it tastes great! Thanks for the meal" he exclaimed as he continued to feast on the ramen. Though Erina still refused to spare the boy who was scarfing down his dinner a glance, she couldn't but smile at his content with her dish.

* * *

"You could sleep in my room, I guess" Soma said as he scratched his chin.

"W-what?!" shouted Erina as her face flushed, eyes widened and mouth agape just from the thought of sharing a room with another boy, let alone Soma Yukihira of all people.

"Calm down, I'll just crash on the sofa. Really it's not big deal and I promise; my room is clean!" Soma said, trying to reassure the flustered girl.

"B-but…" started Erina before Soma put his hand up.

"It's not that big of a deal, honestly. I usually sleep on the sofa at the dorm anyway, usually because I'm too tired from testing out dishes and stuff" continued Soma as he was leading Erina to his room. Erina, though still unable to fully grasp the situation, didn't even try to fight against Soma's surprisingly strong grip. He stopped before a white door and opened it. He bowed and performed a welcome gesture, pointing her towards the room with his arms.

"Welcome to Casa De Soma, please enjoy your stay! Blanket's already folded, and everything's been dusted off and cleaned already" Soma was speaking as if he was working at a hotel, trying to make the customer reassured. Which in this situation, he might as well be. Erina gave him one last worried look which he responded to with a simple smile.

"Really, it's no big deal" Soma said, this time in a much softer and caring tone. Erina was unsure how to respond. Despite her reluctance, she couldn't just ignore the fact that Soma has been very hospitable and her stay here, although did have bumps, was enjoyable. In fact, Erina couldn't recall the last time she actually had fun like this; being away from the school and her headmaster duties. Being able to just hang out with a friend, a term she used lightly when referring to Soma, and having essentially a sleepover. It was exhilarating to her, doing something so normal and casual for the everyday teenager was a foreign concept to her.

"Thank you, Soma, for everything" Erina finally said with a smile, catching Soma off guard. He let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head, unsure of how to react.

"I told you, no big deal. Honestly." Soma shrugged it aside and smiled back. His smile faded as he stared at her embarrassed and unsure expression. Before Soma could even comprehend his own thoughts-

" _She's so…cu-"_

"Hey, Soma?" Erina finally muttered, snapping Soma out of his dream-like state.

"Uh, what's up?" asked Soma, unsure of how to react after his mind went rampant.

"When you said I smelled earlier…was it that bad?" she asked nervously. Soma was in complete shock. The great, prideful, overbearing and too-good-for-you Erina was actually…unsure? She stood there, fidgeting about with her face glowing a bright red color.

"No, not really. I just thought that'd you wanna shower because today was a long day and we actually broke a sweat while cooking all those dishes. In fact, you smelled perfectly fine. You should really tell me what you use, it works wonders" said Soma in an unfittingly serious and blatant tone. Erina stood there in complete shock until she started to clench her fists and punched Soma upside the head, catching him completely off guard. Before he could even say anything in response, she turned and slammed the door in his face.

"W-wait! I need a blanket!" he shouted at the door. But her response…

The clicking of the door locking was enough for the message to get across, even to Soma as he walked away.

" _Man, I didn't even do anything wrong, I even complimented her! ...Right?"_ thought Soma as he pondered on the thought, making his way to the living room.

* * *

Erina was fuming, unable to stop trembling in pure rage. His dopey face kept appearing in her head, just amplifying the already boiling anger. Unable to keep it in, she threw a hard punch at the wall only to fall straight down, knees barely touching her face as she held onto his now throbbing hand.

" _Damn him…made me all worried and self-conscious and for what?! Honestly, why do I even bother…"_ Erina thought angrily as she tried to soothe her throbbing hand. Her scowl faded as curiosity clouded her mind. She began to look around the room, realizing that the room that she was in was the same room that her classmate had spent his entire childhood in. She got up and wandered around, instantly forgetting about the lingering pain that was coursing throughout the entirety of her right hand. The small hoop hung on the back of the door, the hamper in the corner that was filled to the brim with clothes, the old video game consoles. She soon looked over to a wooden work desk; one that had post-it notes covering the entirety of the surface. She walked over and skimmed through all of them; they were recipes. Old recipes. Among the sea of post-it notes, no more than fifteen notes she recognized. The one's that she did recognize had checkmarks next to him with a smiley face.

" _These recipes…they're on the diner menu. Were these all trial dishes that he tried to get on the menu?"_ thought Erina. Some of the post-it's read "Good job!" or "Try again, sweetie" or "Did you dad put you up to this one?!" with an angry face. It was obvious; these were all recipes that were judged by his mother. On one of the top shelves was a picture of the same lady; the young lady with short white hair. This time, Soma was on her shoulders, pointing towards a random direction as if he was commanding a ship. Erina couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she stared at the gorgeous mother and the absolutely adorable child-version of Soma. Then, however, a frown appeared on her face as her eyes locked onto the date carved into the portrait. August 15, 2004

" _I wonder what happened to her…did they split up? Was it mutual? Doesn't seem like it…maybe things just didn't work out"_ thought Erina. She then looked at the slightly opened drawer. Then her eyes locked onto a piece of paper off to the side of the desk. Must have fell. She leaned over and picked it up, turning it over. Shock spread throughout her expression as she recognized the picture; it was the group picture that they had taken during the Régiment de Cuisine, right after their decision to make Soma the first seat and herself the new Totsuki headmaster, when Soma had practically instigated her to use his signature catchphrase. A giddy smile appeared on her face as she remembered Soma claiming to have lost the picture and being all nonchalant about it. The realization hit her; he had just said that, so he could keep the picture himself. He could have easily just gotten another copy, as the picture was printed in almost all the newspapers not only in Totsuki, but all across Japan and even in some locations around the world. Obviously, having the original meant a lot more to him than he led on. As Erina opened the drawer to place the picture, her eyes widened in shock. Within the drawer was a photo album that read "My Time at Totsuki!" in big bold red letters. Though Erina was barely able to make out the child like drawings, she soon realized that they were drawings of all their friends; well, their faces. Erina laughed at Soma's lack of drawing capabilities as she picked up the photo album and opened it. As she flipped through the pages, she found many pictures of Soma with their friends; pictures of him and the rest of the Polar Star Dorm partying, some pictures had a squirming Megumi who was trying her hardest to escape the clutches of Soma's disaster dishes, others had pictures of Soma preparing his dish for a Shokugeki, while others were various selfies throughout the variety of locations they had visited during their time at Totsuki. Soma was either throwing up a V sign and was overly enthusiastic or posing with confidence and his signature cockiness. After flipping a few pages, Erina was surprised to see none other than herself in the album. Erina was able to vividly remember the moments these pictures captured; the time she had stayed at Polar Star Dormitory and all the residents were trying to get her to taste their food. There was one picture where Soma had taken a selfie in the middle of one of her private lessons that she was giving to all the rebels to prepare for the finals. Although Erina was aggravated with his child-like behavior at the time, seeing the picture resurface again made her smile. Once she had reached the page where the pictures ended, she took a long look at the group picture and smiled before sliding it in. She closed the book and placed it back in the drawer and shut it. She made her way to the bed and dropped down, letting herself drown in the surprisingly cushiony and soft mattress. The second her head had hit the pillow; she was knocked out. But that didn't stop her thoughts from lingering to a certain redhead as a small smile formed.

* * *

"So, uh, why are we here again?" asked Soma. The thundering footsteps of hundreds of shoppers echoed throughout enormous shopping-center. Bits and pieces of conversations could be heard from all corners, but with the combined noise it all was just incoherent gibberish that Soma couldn't be bothered to pay any sort of mind to. He stood among the sea of rabid shoppers with his hands in his pockets, unamused and with distinct disinterest plastered onto his face. Beside him was none-other than Erina herself, donning her now washed and cleaned Totsuki uniform.

"Well, since I'm already here, I might as well scout out any potential restaurants. When word goes out that Totsuki has shone its glorious light onto diamond-in-the-rough establishments in areas such as this low-profit, riffraff neighborhood, it'll only further cleanse our tarnished image" Erina said proudly with a smile on her face as Soma turned to face her. Erina was too busy basking in her pride and honor as she stroked her ego to even notice Soma staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Wow, even when you're trying to be nice you still manage to throw in insults" Soma sarcastically remarked only to be ignored by Erina as she scanned the enormous shopping center.

"To be honest, I'm surprised. I wasn't expecting a mall of this grandeur in such an area. I wonder if they have brand name stores here as well" Erina wondered with a genuine look of curiosity.

"Just what kind of neighborhood do you think I live in?!" asked Soma. Soma was a commoner, yes, but Erina take's his status to whole other level. Soma let out a sigh and followed Erina who had started heading towards her first destination in mind.

"So, besides your little "scouting" mission, what's the real reason?" asked Soma, looking through her façade. Erina scowled as a slight tinge of red creeped up on her cheeks.

"I obviously didn't bring a change of clothes, so I need to shop for my week's attire while I'm here" Erina said, embarrassed. In the back of her mind, she was hoping Soma wouldn't judge her. But of course…

"So the rich girl just wants to shop for some clothes, huh?" Soma mocked as he snickered. Erina shot him a glare and pointed her chin up, speeding up in the process.

"Fuck off" Erina spat back, making Soma laugh.

* * *

Soma watched in utter confusion as Erina picked out an article of clothing, inspected it, then immediately dropped it. It had been like this for the past half an hour, and the blonde bombshell has made her way through at least seventy articles of clothing. Every now and then, Soma would hear her muttering to herself, what he thought, were tiny little details that normally would mean nothing. To Erina, however, it was make-it-or-break-it deal. He'd hear things like "Hm, the quality is nice, but this shade just doesn't work", or "This is cute, but do I have anything that would go with it?" or "This design just doesn't suit me". The most baffling comment he had overheard was "Hm? This isn't even brand-name, what's this doing here?!" as she walked over to a store manager and complained. In Soma's simple head, if it fit, it was a buy. Nothing more, nothing less. Just as Soma was about to roll his eyes at Erina's next comment, he was left jarred by the words she had muttered.

"I like this but…will it look good on me?" muttered Erina, with a facial expression that was too serious for the current situation. Soma was in utter shock, it was as if his whole world began to crumble around him. The ever-so prideful, confident, bold, dauntless, self-assured princess of Nakiri royalty…was unsure if something looked good on her?

"Guess even you can act like a normal girl from time to time, eh Erina?" Soma asked suddenly, startling Erina who was so deep in thought that she had forgotten he was even there.

"W-what is that supposed to mean?!" shouted Erina. Erina immediately tensed up, realizing she had been a little too loud and attracted the attention of several other shoppers. Soon, they muttered among themselves and walked away, resuming to their own shopping. Erina let out a sigh of relief and looked back at Soma, angrily.

"Don't you know it's rude to listen in on other people's conversations?" Erina asked as she continued to look through the assortment of blouses and tops.

"Conversation with yourself? Last time I checked that's tip-toeing the line of insanity" Soma mocked, prompting Erina just roll his eyes.

"Anyway, if you need help, I'm always here ya know. You dragged me along with you, might as well make use of me" Erina shot a look of surprise towards Soma as he smiled at her.

" _How could even propose such a thing?!"_ was Erina's initial reaction. But soon, that look of surprise faded into one of deep thought. Soma looked at her confusingly as her recognized that look. It was the look she makes when she's in deep thought; when she's trying to come to an important decision. It usually came up during their meetings or while she was working. Was what he asked really worth this much thought?

" _Well…I suppose it's not a terrible idea…but this seems like something that a…c-cou-"_ thought Erina before Soma poked her cheek, catching her off guard.

"Hey, you still there? You doze off a lot, maybe headmaster is a little too much for you, eh?" Soma laughed, making Erina sigh.

"I suppose your assistance would be appreciated" said Erina as she crossed her arms against her chest, looking as proud as ever. Soma then watched as her confident expression disappeared, leaving a fidgeting mess.

"It's just that I usually have Hisako around to help me, she usually always here to help me while trying out clothes…" Erina said as she rubbed off her skirt and tried to act as casual and prideful as possible. Luckily for her, Soma paid her no mind as he already had a bunch of clothes in hand.

"Here! Try all of these!" Soma shouted, muffled by the mound of clothing he was barely able to support with his arms. Erina let out a sigh and smiled at his foolishness.

"Good grief, it's just one thing after another with you, huh?" The young blonde let out a laugh and began to sort through the mountain of clothing Soma was holding up.

* * *

Within a restaurant, sat a middle-aged man. He had long dark-red hair that was loosely swept back, allowing two single short bangs that hung over his forehead and one long bang that hung over his entire face. As he sat and watched out the glass panes with a drink in hand, he couldn't help but smile as he watched an all to familiar red-head getting scolded by a blonde in the luxury clothing store right across.

" _Would you look at that, the kid actually took my advice. Finally found one, huh?"_ thought the man. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. As he turned around, a young man in a white coat came into view.

"H-Hi! Sorry to bother you, but do you happen to be the legendary Jouichirou Saiba?!" asked the young man in a shaky voice, obviously unsure how to approach the legend himself. Jouichirou looked up at the toque on his head.

" _Pretty small, probably just a rookie"_ thought Jouichirou as he let out a soft smile.

"Aw, legend is too flattering. But yeah, I am" he laughed. The young chef's face lit up and a huge grin formed on his face as he took his toque off and held out a pen.

"W-would you mind if I asked for an autograph?! You're an absolute prodigy and hero in the culinary world! I've followed all of your works and well, you inspired me to become a chef!" exclaimed the young chef, unable to contain his excitement. Jouichirou let out a soft chuckle as he took the pen and began to sign his name onto the hat. Once he returned the hat and the pen, the young chef looked at it in confusion.

"Ah, yeah. I don't go by Saiba anymore. I go by Jouichirou Yukihira" said the middle-aged man, with a warm smile. "But besides the point, please! Show me one of your dishes, I'd love to see what you're capable of" As if it was possible, the chef gleamed in happiness even more than before.

* * *

"Come on out already Erina, we've been here for almost an hour already and you haven't even worn one outfit!" yelled Soma as he played a game on his phone.

"Don't rush me!" shouted Erina from within the changing stall. Soma rolled his eyes and focused on the game. Meanwhile within the stall…

" _Must he really wait right outside for me as I change into the clothes?!"_ thought Erina as she reached over for the red blouse while trying to cover herself, as if Soma could see through the stall. She slipped it on and adjusted it to make sure it was put on properly. She took a look in the mirror and let out a heavy sigh.

As Soma was just about to beat his highest score, he heard the stall door open, throwing his focus off. His face fell grim as the words "Game Over" appeared on his screen, along with the option to watch an ad to continue. However, his irritation turned into awe as he looked up to see the blonde beauty before him. She was wearing a red longline side-split chiffon blouse with a V-neck. It was slightly baggy, giving it a very flowy look. Along with the blouse, she wore waist-high black skinny jeans with slits on the knees, giving her a very urban and casual vibe. It was a foreign look for Erina, but it looked…so good. Soma couldn't stop staring in complete shock, unable to form words.

"Would you quit staring?! Say something already!" shouted the impatient Erina, snapping Soma out of his daze.

"You look great!" Soma exclaimed, giving her a thumb up. Erina was shocked with is sudden response and looked at her outfit again, trying to hide her blush.

"R-really? It feels weird to me"

"I mean, you're all into royalty, right? I'm sure you don't usually go with the casual kind of look. It's always been dresses and uniform with you, right?" asked Soma, as he looked up at the ceiling in thought. He then returned his gaze onto Erina and smiled.

"I think it's nice to see you let loose a little bit, ya know? It's a pretty badass outfit and it doesn't look like it squeezes you to death either" laughed Soma as he rubbed the back of his head. Though it was barely visible, a blush was starting to form on his cheek.

"Don't you think it's a little simple?" she asked as she turned and look towards the mirror.

"I mean, there's nothing wrong with a little simple, right? That's what I think" responded Soma. Erina laughed at his response; it was a very Soma like. Though it did feel different, she did like how it looked on her.

"I guess I was thinking pretty simple when I picked out the clothes. It also kinda gives you that rebel kind of feel, ya know? At least, that's what the employee said" Soma said, unsure of what exactly that meant. Erina rolled her eyes with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, I know" laughed Erina as she went back in and shut the door behind her. Soma let out a huge sigh of relief.

" _What the hell was I staring for? What's up with all this? Ugh, this is all too confusing, especially for today"_ sighed Soma.

* * *

"I know she's rich and all but who the hell buys this much?" Soma muttered to himself as he held onto four bags. Erina had taken one of the bags so she could change into one the outfits that she had finally picked out for herself. She claimed that Soma hadn't cleaned her uniform properly, using that as her excuse to cover up her excitement over her expanding wardrobe. Waiting for the blonde, he found himself locked onto the time on his phone that read "2:23 P.M". It was moving agonizingly slow, forcing the irritation and annoyance that Soma is normally able to hold back rise to surface.

" _Sorry if I'm late…"_ thought Soma. He soon whipped around, feeling a tap on his shoulder. Once he was face to face with the brilliant and heart-warming smile of the Totsuki princess, all his pent-up aggression melted away. His heart began to flutter as he gazed in awe at the young blonde in a pleated light turquoise waist skirt that reached slight above her knees. Tucked into the skirt was a light lilac t-shirt. It didn't hug her too tight, accentuating her more young and cutesy side. Soma was breathless; he didn't know what to say. His mind was running in circles; since when did Erina have this many sides? Though he never did or say anything about it, he did acknowledge that Erina had a very sultry and voluptuous figure and demeanor. Especially when she gave Soma and her friends test prep lessons in that very form-fitting and flattering teacher's outfit. But this was a side that Soma believed to have only saw once before; when she had visited him during her stay at Polar Star and unloaded all her confined feelings of cooking. Where she had confessed her frustrations and was desperately searching for answers. She was soft and vulnerable. Her gaudy, prideful, overconfident, and egotistical coat of armor was stripped, leaving her in a state that she had never exposed to anyone else.

" _No…this is different"_ thought Soma as a smile grew on his face. She was soft, yes, and she was vulnerable. But she was also happy. She was free.

"Hey, pervert. When are you gonna stop staring?" asked Erina as she crossed her arms against her chest, her smile fading into an annoyed frown as she turned and stuck her nose in the air, looking away from Soma.

" _And there it goes"_ thought Soma as he let out a sigh. As he sighed, however, she opened one eye and watched him. She smiled and giggled internally as she grabbed his wrist and began to drag him off to another direction.

"H-hey! Where are going now?!" asked Soma, surprised at Erina's sudden burst of strength.

"We're already late for lunch and plus, I need to go find some scrappy little restaurant that needs help!" Erina exclaimed with urgency. Soma, despite the end of her statement, gleamed in excitement.

"Oh yeah! I'm starving! You're paying right?" Soma asked in excitement. Erina turned her head to face him, still dragging him along.

"Excuse me? Shouldn't you be a gentleman and pay for it instead?" Erina raised an eyebrow at him. Soma simply shrugged and had his signature teasing smile plastered across her face, irritating Erina.

"Shouldn't people not walk into other people's homes without permission?" he responded. Erina opened her mouth in shock, getting ready to protest.

"W-when will you let that go?!" asked Erina, aware that there was no way to win this fight. Soma simply laughed at her to which Erina responded by rolling her eyes. In the end, she couldn't contain her laughter as a giggle slipped out.

"I hate you so much, you know that?" she said mockingly, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"Aww, I'm sure you don't mean that" Soma snickered.

"I'm sure I do" As the two laughed while making their way through, the bystanders couldn't help but smile at the two young radiating spirits as they bickered and laughed their way to their next destination.

* * *

"Oh hey! Old snake lady, what's happenin'?!" Soma asked enthusiastically and nonchalantly as manager of karaage themed restaurant Mozuya, Kinu Nakamozu, turned around, already enraged by the all-too familiar voice. The manager had medium length back hair that was pulled back into a tight ponytail. Her slim figure as well as her feline-like face was welcoming, but all of that changed as soon as her eyes landed onto the redhead who had a dopey facial expression, eyes half open and an innocent smile that was always taken as mockery.

"Soma Yukihira…" she growled as memories began to flood back. Her initial encounter with the brazen Totsuki freshman, the way he stared directly at her and provoked her, and then proceeded to embarrass and humiliate her with his own karaage concoction.

"The hell are you doing back here, damned brat?!" she shouted angrily, eyes opened as a pulsating vein appeared on her face. When the other customers noticed her hostile appearance, she turned back around. Her face had returned to the deceptive welcoming and friendly expression. She opened up her fan and laughed.

"Welcome to Mozuya! Please, enjoy your stay here and if there's anything you'd like to discuss, please don't be wary! Come to me and I'll do my best to assist" she said in a joyous and overly enthusiastic voice. The customers let out a nervous laugh and distanced themselves from her as fast as they could, racing to the line.

Erina tugged on Soma's sweater and leaned in close, whispering to him. His eyes adjusted to Erina, looking to his side without turning his head.

"Hey, do you know her or something? I know you're really unlikable but that was rather random" she asked, confused by her sudden hostility towards the redhead.

"Man, you'll take any chance you get at a jab, won't you?" Erina laughed at his dismay, though she knew Soma was indifferent towards it. "Well, we kinda had a disagreement a while back. I think she was tryna run some of neighbors out of business and I didn't really like that" said Soma, looking up at the ceiling as he struggled recalling the exact details. Erina sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Of course, you would be the one to throw yourself into unnecessary situations" sighed Erina. Kinu turned back to Soma as she returned to her true nature.

"You here trying to ruin my business again, huh you little shit?!" she angrily questioned, trying to intimidate Soma. However, classic Soma paid no mind and smiled away.

"Oh, I'm just here to eat! We didn't eat breakfast so we were hoping to ha-"started Soma before Kinu shoved her hand into Soma's face, shutting him up and pushing him off to the side.

"Erina Nakiri-san! How are you?! I'm Kinu Nakamozu, manager of one of Mr. Etsuya's fine establishments! Congratulations on becoming the youngest headmaster of Totsuki! But that's expected, from a natural born talent like you! What are you even doing with scum like him?" she exclaimed as she closed her eyes again and smiled broadly. However, Erina was not sharing the same sentiment. Erina's eyes were narrowed as she glared at the supervisor. Kinu's smile soon faded as she opened her eyes once again, now filled with fear and uncertainty.

"N-Nakiri-san…?" she asked, unable to stop her knees from quivering. The entire mood shifted as Erina's gaze locked onto her. The blonde's lilac eyes were a frozen wasteland, piercing deep into Kinu's wavering will. Her blood ran cold as she uncontrollably trembled before the queen herself.

"Ooo, I don't know what you did but you set her off big time" said Soma with genuine concern on his face.

"I don't appreciate the way you're speaking to one of my students, let alone the fact that he's my personally appointed First Seat" started Erina with deadly composure. Kinu's eyes widened in shock from the fact that this brat was higher ranked than her boss, Etsuya Eizan.

"I-I apolo-"

"Did I say I was finished speaking?" Erina said, sounding more like a statement rather than a question, shutting the lady up immediately.

"I don't understand what kind of relationship you have with Soma Yukihira, but you will not dare throw speak to him with such a demeanor in my presence. I fear that you are unaware of just how much power I have over you and where you exactly stand in this situation; if I so wished, this establishment will be closed down for the rest of your grandchildren's lives. You, will go on and be blacklisted from any culinary establishment for as long as I see fit" Erina stated, each word hitting harder than the last one. As she walked closer to Kinu, she backed away until she fell to her knees before the Ice Queen herself. A devilish smile appeared on Erina's face as she used her pointer finger to push Kinu's chin up, making sure that the groveling lady remained eye contact with her.

"Do you understand the situation now, Nakamozu-senpai?" Erina mocked as she stretched out and slowed down on her pronunciation of "senpai". The manager nodded urgently, still quaking in terror.

"I suggest you watch you tongue before you upset me again. You will treat my staff with respect, is that understood?" Erina said, looking down up Kinu.

"Y-yes N-Nakiri-san…" she uttered weakly, defeated and crushed under the overwhelming aura emitted from the queen. Nakiri stood up straight, let out a sigh of relief, and smiled.

"You are very wel-" started Erina as she turned to Soma, completely confident in the fact that Soma would thank her for rescuing him. Her smile dropped as she watched Soma stare at the menus on the wall with his earbuds in. She stared at him in utter shock, unable to fathom his ignorance. He turned around and took out one of his earbuds.

"Oh, you done over there? Hurry up, I'm starving already! These all look so good, you should really check it out" Erina was astonished with just how far his care-free nature went, too stunned to close her gaping mouth. She eventually sighed and rubbed her temples, unsure of what she was expecting. She walked over to him and searched the menus with a frown on her face.

"Hey, you didn't need to do all that ya know. But thanks, it means a lot that you'd stick up for me" Soma said casually, eyes still locked on the menu in front of him. Erina turned to him, surprised at his sudden appreciation. She shook her head and smiled.

"Of course, I'm the only one who's allowed to talk about how worthless you are, after all. I don't plan on giving that luxury away to others" she laughed followed by a chuckle from the redhead.

"It's always a double-edged sword with you, huh?"

"Always" laughed Erina as she pulled out her phone. She opened up her iMessage app and scrolled down. Once she had selected her contact, she began to type out her message.

 _So, I met up with one of your business partners, Kinu Nakamozu. She's quite the rambunctious lady, I really do question your decisions at times, Eizan-senpai – 3:21 P.M_

 _Ugh, how the hell did you meet up with her? Fine, I'll take care of it – 3:23 P.M_

Ten minutes had passed and the two were starting their meal. Suddenly, they heard a shriek coming off the corner of the restaurant. Just as Soma was about to turn, Erina took her hand and grabbed Soma by his jaw. She then pulled his gaze back to her pouting face and the food.

"It's rude to let your food get cold, especially if someone bought it for you, peasant. Honestly, you really have semblance of shame in your bones" sighed Erina as Soma laughed.

"Hey, I said thanks already! Itadakimasu!" Soma exclaimed excitedly as he dug in. Erina smiled and put her hands together, closing her eyes.

"Itadakimasu" she said calmly. Before she started eating, she adjusted her gaze to the sobbing Kinu, who was taking a phone call in the corner. Her loud sobbing was catching the attention of many around her as they watched her awkwardly, unsure of what to exactly do.

"B-but…Eizan-san…what do you mean fired?!" she said in between sobs, prompting a mischievous smile to crawl onto Erina's face.

"That's a creepy smile, Erina. I didn't know you liked food _that_ much" Soma commented, his mouth still stuffed with food.

"Wha-! Chew your food, mongrel!"

* * *

"Man, why do I have to carry all of your bags?" complained Soma as he struggled to hold the numerous bags in his hand.

"Because as of right now, you are my aid and that is simply what you must do" said Erina with a merciless tone, smiling at what she should to be Soma's torture. Soma simply rolled his eyes and attempted to reach for his keys. As he struggled for his keys, his eyes began to wonder and were soon focusing on the light inside the restaurant.

"Soma, did you leave the lights on before we left?" asked Erina as her gaze adjusted to the same light that was shining through the windowpane.

"Man, how many people are gonna barge in without my permission?!" Soma exclaimed as he dropped the bags and slid the door open with as much force as he could and rushed in.

"H-hey!" Erina shouted as she picked up the bags and rushed in after him. As soon as the two entered, a powerful swirl of aromas blasted their face, making them instantly salivate.

"So you kids finally made it back, huh? You guys sure took your sweet ass time" laughed Jouichirou as he continued chopping various vegetables, eyes never leaving the ingredients.

"Dad?!" shouted Soma in shock.

"Saiba-san?!" shouted Erina in both confusion but also excitement.

"Whaaat, I'm right here, what's with the shouting?" he asked, still focused on cooking.

"Why didn't you message me you were home?" Soma asked, running over to grab his apron before his father stuck his finger out and waved it back and forth.

"Settle down, tiger. I'm making dinner tonight. And I thought you two saw me, I saw you two on your little date" Jouichirou said, giving the two a rather mischievous smirk. Erina's face began to glow a bright red, waving her hands frantically.

"W-what?! No! It's not like that at all!" shouted Erina, humiliated by the fact that her idol would think such a thing and the fact that was the impression the two gave off. Did everyone think they were a couple? Did everyone think they were on a date? Erina's mind was swirling out of control, unsure of what to say or do.

"I'm just messing with ya, I know you wouldn't wanna get together with my brat of a kid" laughed Jouichirou, allowing Erina to let out a sigh of relief and laugh along with him as Soma was fuming at the seams.

"How have you been, Erina-chan? I hear you're the new headmaster, is that right?" he asked while he lifted the cutting board with one hand and tilted it to the side. With his other hand, he took the knife and gently pushed the cut vegetables onto the frying pan. The sizzle of the vegetables hitting the heated oil sent fireworks of oil splashing, but before it got on Jouichirou, he swiftly grabbed the lid to the side and put it over the exploding pan.

"I've been well, thank you for asking Saiba-san. And yes, I am the headmaster now. It's been a constant battle, honestly. Especially with this one not taking care of his own work" spat Erina, sending a glare towards the redhead.

"Is everyone just taking jabs at me today?!" shouted the boy who shot a look towards Erina. Erina stuck her tongue out and in response, Erina mocked her by taking his hand and opening it closing it repeatedly, mimicking someone speaking.

"Haha, of course. Either way, I'm proud of you, kiddo. I'm sure your grandpa is off somewhere talking you up" laughed Jouichirou as he untied his pony tail, letting down his hair. Erina blushed happily at the compliment from her role model.

"I'll take the bags upstairs, just hold on a sec, kids" Jouichirou grabbed the bags and soon disappeared up the stairs. Soma sighed as he took a seat next to Erina, slumping his head onto the table.

"What's up with you? I'd figure any kid would be happy that their dad is cooking for them, let alone a chef like him" Erina said, slightly annoyed that Soma isn't showing more appreciation. Even if it's a common occurrence, he should still show respect. That's what Erina thought, anyway.

"Yeah, yeah. It's just that we usually cook together" explained Soma. Erina's look of irritation changed to one of sincerity and softness.

"Aw, do you miss being able to bicker with your father?" laughed Erina.

"Nah, we don't argue about the usual today. We're usually silent the whole time" Soma said blankly. Erina looked back with a mix of surprise and confusion.

* * *

Erina gazed in wonder at the glorious spread that was before her. The incredible aroma of each dish wafted through the air, making even the composed Erina salivate in anticipation, unable to even comprehend the experience that will soon bless her palate. She knew Jouichirou's cooking. She knew what he was capable of. For years she had anticipated having a taste of her idol's dish again. She could hardly contain her excitement as she stared upon the feast that was all hand made by none other than the Asura himself.

"Yikes Erina, drool anymore and you'll have to go change into another outfit" Soma snickered as he playfully pointed at her. Erina closed her mouth and wiped it in embarrassment, still too dazed to come back with a quip.

"Leave her alone Soma, you used to be the same way too, remember?" laughed Jouichirou, catching Soma off guard.

"Wha- hey! Whose side are you on?!" shouted his son, followed by another hearty laugh that boomed through the restaurant. Soma crossed his arms against his chest and pouted, looking off to the side.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Used to though, not anymore. Why would I drool over your muck when I make the better dishes!" Soma mocked, trying to egg his father on.

"Oh yeah? Maybe that First Seat of yours inflated that big head of yours, brat" responded his father with a cocky smile on his face. Erina sighed as the two bickered. At the end of the day, Jouichirou _was_ Soma's father after all. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, she supposes.

"Hey, you two! The food's going to spoil if you continue your arbitrary bickering" she said, catching the attention of the two redheads. They stared at her as Erina's confident and irritated look dissipated into one of nervousness and anxiety.

"W-what? Did I say something wrong?" she asked, confused as to why the Yukihira's were just staring at her. Their lock-on to her was soon disengaged as a smile appeared on their faces.

"Erina-chan is right. Let's eat, shall we? Itadakimasu" Jouichirou said with a chuckle.

"Itadakimasu!" shouted Soma as he raced to chow down. Erina watched the two, confused and unable to comprehend their sudden mood shift.

"What's wrong, Erina-chan? You said it yourself, your food's gonna get cold" Jouichirou said as he finished chewing his first bite.

"O-oh, right. I-Itadakimasu" she tried to say calmly but failed to hide her excitement. As soon as she took her first bite, the explosion of flavors burst to life as she found herself in a pure state of ecstasy. Before she knew it, she found herself in the loving comfort of someone's arms. But she couldn't make out the person; was it someone she knew? No. But it strangely felt familiar…it felt so…loving. Erina opened her eyes and looked up. Her eyes widened in anticipation as she struggled to make out the face. But just as she was getting close to it…

"So, how is it?" Erina opened her eyes and found herself warped back into reality. She looked around, trying to familiarize herself with her surroundings. She was back at Restaurant Yukihira. Jouichirou was smiling at her as Soma continued to chow down on his food, not even sparing the blonde or his father a glance.

"Huh?" Erina sputtered out in confusion, still trying to get ahold of herself.

"I mean, it's not everyday I get to test out some dishes on the God Tongue. Seriously, lay it on me!" he shouted enthusiastically as he took another bite of his own food.

"O-oh, I mean, it's you Saiba-san. Of course, it's amazing…" started Erina as she smiled fondly. However, her smile dropped as she looked back at the dish, confused with the doubt in her voice.

"Something wrong?" the senior redhead asked.

"I…I don't know. It's amazing, it really is! The flavors don't battle with each other at all and work in perfect synchronicity. But…there's just something missing. But…even with my God Tongue, I'm unable to exactly point it out…My deepest apology, Saiba-san. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more use to you…" Erina said, unable to look him in the eye. An overwhelming feeling of disappointment overflowed from within, shaming Erina. Jouichirou watched the dejected blonde in surprise, but then laughed and pat her on the head, catching Erina off guard.

"Hey, don't worry about it kiddo. I think I know what you're talking about, it's a pretty unique flavor that I'm missing" he laughed, surprising Erina.

"And hey, don't worry about calling me Saiba. I left that name a long time ago; Jouichirou is perfectly fine" he laughed. Erina blushed in embarrassment, unable to contain her happiness that her idol allowed her to refer to him so casually. A smile appeared on her face until she noticed an unruly hand slowly creep over to her dish. She slapped the hand away and swung her piercing gaze over to the younger redhead who was rubbing his hand.

"Hey, the hell is that for?!" Soma asked as he comforted his hand.

"Don't pick food from your guest, you imbecile. Honestly, to think that you are Jouichirou-san's child is an embarrassment to him" she scoffed angrily as she took another bite of her dinner. Jouichirou snickered as he pointed at his son who was growling at his mocking father.

"What are you laughin at, old man?!" shouted Soma.

"Yeah Soma, you're such an embarrassment. Man, it really sucks to call you my kid" Jouichirou laughed, angering his son even more.

"Hey, that actually hurt you shit-show dad!" shouted Soma as Jouichirou continued to laugh at him. Erina let out a sigh as he watched the two bicker once again. But…a warming smile made its way onto her face as she watched the two fondly. She couldn't help but feel…at home.

* * *

Erina gasped as her eyes quickly opened. She shot up and found herself in Soma's room once again. When did she fall asleep? How long was she out? What time is it, anyway? She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and turned it on. She winced as the sudden burst of light from her phone was too much to handle. She lowered the brightness to put her eyes at ease and stared at the time.

11:16 P.M. Just when exactly did she fall asleep? It was the same day, thankfully. She rubbed her eyes and swung her legs over, hanging off the edge of the bed and touching the floor. Just how did she get into Soma's room?

" _Last thing I remember was sitting on the couch…"_ thought Erina. She insisted in helping the two clean up but they just wouldn't allow it and forced her to sit and watch tv in their living room. She got up and made her way out the door. As she turned the corner, she realized that all the lights were off…except for downstairs. Though barely visible, a sliver of light slipped through the door that was open ajar. She made her way downstairs and pushed the door open. Alone, Jouichirou sat near the bar area, right in front of the ordering counter. Only one light was on, shining on him as he drank out of "SKYY Vodka" bottle. He turned to Erina and smiled.

"I-I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you…" she stammered, unsure of what exactly to say. The redhead waved his hand in the air and shook his head.

"No, no, you're fine. Don't worry, I'm not wasted just yet" he laughed as he took another sip from the bottle. "You finally woke up, huh? You fell asleep on the couch, food coma probably" he said with a smile. A light blush appeared on her face, embarrassed that she had fell asleep from overeating.

"Wait, how did I end up in Soma's room then?" asked Erina. Jouichirou looked at her with surprise all over his face.

"Really, you didn't notice? Soma carried you there, didn't want you to hurt your neck" he said blankly and casually. Erina, in contrast to Jouichirou's calmness, was erupting at the seams deep inside as her face burned a bright crimson shade.

"H-H-He what?!" Erina shouted. She was breathing heavily, trying to picture it in her head. Her sleeping on the couch, the redhead striding over, picking her up and looking at her longingly. His long red locks framing his face perfectly as his large glittering golden orbs gazing at her.

" _No, this isn't some shoujo manga!"_ she thought to herself, shaking the thought out of her head. However, a new thought found its way into her head as she stared back at Jouichirou once again.

"Where is Soma, anyway?" Erina asked. Jouichirou didn't respond and took another gulp of his vodka before getting up.

"He didn't tell you, huh?" Erina looked at him confusingly as he grabbed his coat off the rack and grabbed his keys.

"Let's go for a ride, yeah? You might get some answers, especially with that missing flavor" Jouichirou laughed as Erina followed him.

* * *

The rain poured down heavily, drenching the redhead as he kept his stood still in front of the headstone. Soma tightened his fists as he repeated the word "Mother" in his head. He loosened his grip and gazed at the tombstone softly with a weak smile.

"Hey mom…it's been a pretty crazy year this time around. Got into this crazy high-class culinary school. You have no idea how strict the place is! Bet you'd be proud I got in…I made a lot of friends there! There's Megumi, Daigo, Yuki, Ryoko, Isshiki-senpai, Shun, Zenji, Shoji. I met a lot of crazy talented cooks besides my roommates! There's the Aldini brothers, Alice, Hishoko, Nikumi, Ryo, Akira, Kuga-senpai, Shinomiya-senpai…there's also this one girl. Her name is Erina, she's pretty uptight. She comes from some royal background and we constantly get into arguments…but it's more so funny and light-hearted now-a-days! Honestly, we've gotten close, she's like my best friend! Though things get weird from time to time and I don't really get this feeling that comes up…but that's besides the point! Uh…oh yeah! I'm the First Seat! Basically, means I'm the best cook there, but that's only natural!" Soma laughed as a grinned happily. But that grin didn't last long, fading into the frown.

"Is what I'd like to say but…I don't know. I don't really feel like I earned it. A lot of stuff happened in between, got into a lot of fights with people that I didn't agree with and we couldn't really meet eye to eye…eventually it just felt like the title was just…given to me. I don't feel like I earned it and I know for a fact that there are chefs that are way…" started Soma before he balled his hands into a fist and gritted his teeth.

"…way better than me. It's been eating away at me for a while now, and I just…I don't know. Things have been kinda hard. I mean, I'm still happy! But…I could be happier ya know…things could be a lot easier…if you were still around…" Soma continued. Soma's eyes began to well up as the cold sensation of the rain that dripped down his face dissipated as the warm scalding feeling of his tears trickled down. The rain poured down with thunderous rage, but none of it registered in Soma's head. All he could think about was the lightning that struck his heart, making it beat a thousand miles per second. The agonizing pounding made him grip his shirt, unsure of what to say as he gritted his teeth even harder.

"I've gotten so much better at cooking…I really have…and I do want to get better but…I just wish…!" Soma stammered as he gripped his soaked shirt tighter and shut his eyes.

"I just wish I could show you!" he finally shouted, allowing his tears to flow freely at last.

"Dad made all your favorite dishes! He misses you so much! We both do! He told me all about how you saved him…he must have been so happy when he met you…and he still is! We both still are but…it's just not the same…the restaurant, the food, us…we're just not the same without you" he sobbed loudly. He knew no one could overhear him, he knew no one else would be here at this time. He shelved his happy-go-lucky attitude and let out all his locked-up feelings, the feelings he would only allow to roam free once a year. His heart ached for his long-gone mother, the woman who originally ignited his passion for cooking. The woman who devoted an endless reservoir of love to him and his father. The woman that was his mother. His mother that he would never be able to see again.

"Damn it…damn it…damn it! I said I wouldn't freak out like this again…" Soma cursed under his breath, unable to control his raging emotions.

* * *

"Those dishes I made…they were all dishes that Soma's made when he was a kid; dishes that his mother approved of. They were her favorite dishes on the entire menu" Jouichirou laughed. "That missing flavor you were talking about, it was just the fact that she wasn't the one cooking them. It's been twelve years since she's passed…it's been hard on both of us" said Jouichirou. From within the car, Erina and Jouichirou watched Soma stand by his lonesome in the rain.

"It's been tough, but we've come to terms with it. We've learned how to live on with a smile. But stitching up a wound doesn't mean it won't reopen" Jouichirou continued, looking straight ahead. Erina, however, kept her focus on Soma.

"He's a strong kid. He's always so happy and always so head-strong. It's one of the things I love about the kid and I'm super proud of him for. But he's still my kid, I know what's going on inside. There's a limit to how long you can be that strong, a limit to how long you can keep that chill face. No one can ever keep their cool, 100%...Hey! Wait, wha-" was the last of what Erina heard before exiting the car into the chaotic storm, slamming the door behind her. She was racing towards the redhead but as she dashed towards him, a million questions began to pop up in her mind. What would he say when he see's her? What would she say when she meets up with him? What could she say?

No.

All that mattered was that he was there for her during her moments of weakness. During her most vulnerable point. And now, it was her turn. As she ran up towards Soma, she hesitated when he turned to her, revealing his puffy red eyes and tears that streamed down his cheek, blending with the rainfall that soaked his entire body. Something had snapped in Erina as she locked eyes with the grieving Soma. The boy she once thought to be indestructible, the one who always had a look of confidence, the one who never allowed anything to steal his wind, tortured himself alone in this wild storm. Her hesitation washed away in that instant. She ran up to Soma and pulled him into a strong embrace, burying him deep into her chest.

"Erina?! W-what are you doi-" started Soma before she shushed him, pulling him closer into her embrace.

"It's okay, Soma. Jouichirou-san told me everything…" Erina started. In reality, she couldn't grasp the current situation at all. Here she was, soiling her mighty and royal self in this disgusting weather all for a boy, a mere commoner, that she once hated. All for a boy that she used to believe was an indestructible force that could never be toppled, emotionally. No one could ever get in his head, she thought. But she couldn't be more wrong.

"Just…let it all out" Erina said with a slight blush. "You shouldn't do this…alone. I don't know what I could possibly say to ease your pain. I don't think there is anything at all that could make it easier. But…just don't do this to yourself alone. I'll be here for you" Soma's eye's widened from her words. He soon closed his eyes and fell too his knees, followed by Erina, still locking him in her embrace. Soma began to sob once more, even louder than before as he held Erina tightly. His screams of pain echoed through the night sky, drowning out the thunder itself.

"I just…I just wish she could be here too…I wish…she could see how far I've come and help me grow even more…" sobbed Soma.

"I know Soma, I know" comforted Erina. Seeing Soma like this was disturbing, to say to least. It just felt so…not like Soma.

"I'm sure…she's proud of you. I'm sure she's been watching you, overcome one obstacle after another with nothing but a smile on your face. You're special, Soma. You always have been since the moment you've entered Totsuki, and I'm sure she's nothing but proud of everything you've accomplished" Erina continued.

It was unlike Soma to be like this. For strangely…she was happy to see this side of him. She was happy to know that she wasn't the only one who was holding up this image and trying to hide the pain and sorrow. Ironically, she felt comforted by the fact that Soma was just like her. Before she knew it, she couldn't feel the rain anymore. All she could feel was Soma's warmth against her own body. In her head, it was just her and Soma.

And she couldn't have been happier.

* * *

" _Would you look at that, Aki? Our kid's made a pretty good choice"_ thought Jouichirou as the rain began to soften, revealing the blonde and redhead holding onto each other.

 _ **A/N: AHHHHH, sorry this took so long LOL. Tbh I just couldn't figure out how I wanted each scene to go and I found myself just quitting after every paragraph or so out of annoyance, but eventually it all started coming together in my head and got a shit ton easier. I couldn't figure out how I wanted to write Soma in the end, because it just felt so unnatural. But I guess that's the whole point, haha. And yes this chapter is extra long because it was originally supposed to be two-three chapters but since it took longer than usual, I figured I might as well bulk-write. Think of this as an apology for taking so long, lul. Unsure just how far I want to take this, but this will definitely focus more-so on the SoRina aspect, so don't worry! For now, enjoy and review! I'ma go knock out for the next century or so.**_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Erina sat silently on the edge of the bed in deep thought as she stared at her lap, looking off to the corner of her eye every so often, waiting for the redhead to make any sort of movement. She tried her best to get a read on him, but she couldn't make out any semblance of emotion on his face. His damp red locks draped over his face, only allowing the tip of his nose and the lower portion of his face to be shown. Erina had to say something, _anything_ at this point.

"Hey…Yukihira-kun-"started Erina as she turned to Soma, only to be pulled into a strong embrace. Her eyes widened in surprise, unsure of how to react. Her face was glowing red in the dark room, barely lit by the moonlight shining through the window panes.

" _W-w-why-"_ thought Erina as he heartbeat quickened, practically pounding out of her chest. She knew he could feel it, embarrassing her even more.

"I told you, you could just call me Soma" Soma said with a short and weak chuckle. Erina's mind had stopped as she locked her sights onto Soma's head which rested on her shoulder. Erina's face of bewilderment and disarray softened into a small smile.

"Honestly, you're crazy for running out in the rain like that. And pretty stupid" Erina was practically able to feel his breath as he spoke to her softly. Despite how pleasing the sensation was, she couldn't just gloss over what he had just said.

"Ugh, you're such a je-" groaned Erina as she tried to break from his embrace, only to be surprised by his iron hold and refusal to let go.

"But…it meant a lot. You running out there like that, just for me. Not many people would do that" he continued in a somber tone. Erina's muscles relaxed as she melted into Soma's embrace. She hadn't even realized it, but her arms were slowly wrapping themselves around Soma, though not as tightly.

" _That's not true…you would"_ thought Erina.

"…Honestly, calling me stupid when you were just standing there for who knows how long. You're one to talk" Erina mocked as she tightened her grip around Soma, burying herself into the crook of his neck.

" _Why…why am I hugging HIM of all people, like this?! Why am I not letting go?! Why…why is it so comforting and why…why does he smell so…good…"_ Erina's thoughts were running rampant once again, unable to contain themselves. She didn't understand any one of the numerous feelings that formed a cyclone within her.

"How could I not run out there? I may be the headmaster but that doesn't mean I'm just going to ignore one of my students…" she said softly, slightly pulling herself away from his neck to avoid being muffled. Not too far, though. Soma let out a small laugh and disengaged himself from the hug, catching Erina off guard. For a moment, she had a look of disappointment as he pulled away.

"Of course" he said with a bright smile and closed eyes, trying to hide how red and swollen they were.

"B-besides…" Erina continued, surprising Soma.

"It's not like…it's not like I could have just watched you and NOT do anything…You may be irritating, obnoxious, loud, idiotic, irresponsible, stress-inducing, rude, lazy, problematic-" continued Erina, her voice getting louder and angrier after each adjective until Soma smiled at her, giving her a look that also said "Your point?". Erina cleared her throat in an effort to recompose herself.

"You may be all those things but…you're still a close friend and I still do care for you…" she finished, her cheeks honing their signature crimson shade as she looked away, trying to avoid eye-contact knowing it would only flare up her burning face even more. Soma was shocked, to say the least. Let alone the fact that the easily-agitated blonde called him her friend, close one at that, but also by the fact that she herself had admitted that she cared for him.

"I know…you would have done the same for me. You HAVE done the same for me…I may not have the same experience but…I know that feeling. That feeling of helplessness. That feeling of despair, knowing that no matter how much you wish things were different…no matter how much you want things back to the way they were, they never will" Erina continued, her purple eyes glittering as Erina tried her best to fight back tears.

"I-" started Erina before she stopped herself. No, she couldn't. She couldn't bring up her father. She refused to make this about her. This is about Soma's time of need, not another therapy session for her. It was Erina's turn to give what Soma gave her; comfort and hope.

"I just wish I could do more than this" she continued, looking down at her lap.

Silence.

Suddenly, a loud slap echoed throughout the room as Erina squeaked, feeling Soma's palm crash onto her back. She swung at Erina, to which Soma responded to with a duck.

"What the hell is that for you brute?!" shouted Erina as she rubbed her back without averting her furious glare from Soma. Soma just had a wide smile on his face as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You don't need to be so down. Cheer up, come on!" he exclaimed enthusiastically with a laugh. Erina couldn't believe it. The originally heart-broken, devastated, defeated Soma disappeared in an instant and was replaced by the more confident and over-joyous Soma. Or _did_ it disappear?

"Soma, stop messing around. You can't hide it anymore" Erina said sternly, upset that Soma was still trying to hide his feelings from her. Soma stared back in shock but then smiled as he looked away.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But I'm serious, don't be so hard on yourself. Doing what you did is more than enough" Soma said with a sigh of relief. Erina couldn't believe it. Here he was again, stricken with grief. Yet, he was the one comforting her. What the hell is this guy? Erina lifted her hand and gravitated towards Soma. She hesitated at first, but then swiftly grabbed the boy's hand and held it tightly. A bright shade of red appeared on Soma's face as he turned to Erina. Though her face was burning red as well, she had a look of determination in her eyes. Her beautiful violet eyes were locked onto Soma's golden orbs. Suprisingly, Erina's gaze was unwavering.

"It's just us, Soma" Erina said calmy, holding onto Soma's hand tightly. Soma eyes were still widened in shock but soon softened, as he looked down dejectedly.

"You just…you never realize just how much you need something until it's gone" he said softly. Soma shut his eyes tightly, trying his hardest to fight back the tears.

"She was gone before I even understood the fact that I'd never be able to see her again. I'd never able to cook for her. I'd never be able to show her just how much I've improved. I just wish I had a little more time with her…I'll give anything just to have her back, even for a day" Soma said with a sigh.

"She was one of the main reasons why I even want to get better at cooking…Sometimes when I think about how she'll never be back, I just wonder about why I'm even trying. What's the point of even doing all this if she's not here to see it…" Erina tightened her grip on his hand, surprising him.

"Just because she's not here anymore doesn't mean that she still can't be one of your reasons" Erina said sternly. Soma looked up at her, confused. She smiled back at him, softly.

"Honestly, Soma. You can be such an idiot. The fact that she's gone…it should only drive your ambitions even futher. I'm sure she wished nothing but the best for you. I'm sure she wanted-no. She _wants_ you to go on to become an amazing chef, an amazing _person_ " she continued as she leaned in closer to Soma.

"Why…why would you think that there's no point to your struggles? You didn't pour your blood, sweat, and tears into every dish, every promise, every single action just so you could look back and think it was all in vain. You, Soma, as someone who's fought time and time again for their recognition, are the last person I'd expect such…such a cowardly way of thinking. Just wanting to give up is something that goes against everything you stand for" she continued. Soma's amber eyes didn't disengage from Erina's glistening eyes.

"And Soma…you told me this before. You've shown everyone this before. It's okay to follow your dreams for others, to make their wishes come true. But…as much as you love your mother and as much as you are inspired by your father, that's not the real reason as to why you go that extra mile" she continued. She looked down at their hands. They were no longer holding onto each other. Instead, they were flat on the bed with their fingers intertwining with each others.

"You go so far because you want everyone to know that you will be the best. But not only that, you have fun. You've always had fun with everything you did, no matter what the stakes were. It's just who you are. To think that it was of no avail just because your mother isn't here to see it is just…weak, Soma. She may not be with you physically, but she's definitely still…" continued Erina as she took her other hand and poked Soma's chest gently, right over his heart.

"…there" Erina said, with a soft smile. Soma didn't know what to say. Erina's gaze was just so…mesmerizing. He couldn't pull himself away from staring at her beautiful eyes as they shined in the moonlight, glittering with the reflecting of the stars that shined through the window.

"I meant what I said before. Your mother, wherever she is, is proud of you. She's watching over you, smiling and gleaming with pride because who you've become. But more than anything, I'm sure she wouldn't want you to dedicate your passion to her. She wants your passion to be in devotion to your own heart, not hers"

" _Why am I saying all this? Why can't I stop? Why don't I want to let go of his hand?"_

"Soma, the reason you stand out so much is because of your passion and desire to outdo yourself. Everyone looks up to you because you're this beacon that never stops shining. You're this unshakable tower that will never fall before anything, no matter what it is or who it is. You keep walking tall for yourself, at the end of the day. It takes a lot of strength and dedication to be _that_ resilient" Erina said as she softly laughed.

"You're an accumulation of everything that makes your mother and father great. But who you are today is a result of your own hard work. Remember that. Don't go around thinking that you're who you are because of other people and that that's the only reason you should keep going" Erina said confidently. However, that confidence wavered as she moved onto her next thought.

"A-and if that's really the c-case…which I hope it's not! B-but…if anything…keep going for uh…your friends who look up to you and are inspired by you…and me…" she said, blushing even harder than before. Soma just stared at her, confusingly. At that moment, Erina began to sputter and tremble in embarrassment.

"I-I mean…! You're still the First Seat! You're still technically my, like…right hand man…well left hand if we count Hisako but she's more like my personal assistant or secretary or like…point is! You have a lot of responsibilities! You can't just drop them just because you're sad!" she shouted, trying to recompose herself. She gasped as she realized how insensitive her last words were.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it li-" continued Erina before she was interrupted by Soma's hysterical laughing.

"What's so funny?!" she pouted angrily, as Soma failed to compose himself. Erina sucked her teeth and sighed.

"Honestly, why do I even bother with you?!" she shouted angrily before removing her hand from Soma. But in that instant, Soma grabbed her hand and pulled it back into his. In the next instant, Erina's eyes widened as Soma leaned in close, resting his forehead on hers. His eyes were closed as he smiled softly, the complete opposite of Erina's widened eyes and shocked expression.

"You really know how to bring a guy back to reality, ya know that Erina. Thanks…I…I needed that wake-up call" he said softly, resting his forehead against hers all while holding her hand tightly. Erina let out a sigh as she closed her eyes and smiled back at him.

"Honestly…you're such a pain in the ass…" she sighed. Soma let out a small laugh and let out a sigh.

"Love youuuu" he said mockingly. But deep inside, he was questioning just how much of it he meant.

" _Love you too…"_ was the only thought that raced through Erina's head, escaping her awareness. The two sat there, comforted by each other's presence, and had no intention of moving.

* * *

From outside the room, Jouichirou leaned on the door, eyes closed with a wide smile on his face.

"Honestly, twelve years and I couldn't crack the code for shit yet his school pal figured it out in less than a day? What is this, some romance sap story?" he muttered before letting out a chuckle, walking towards his own room. He raised his hand and waved without turning back.

"Keep him out of trouble, will ya Erina-chan?"

* * *

The brilliant rays of the sun shined throught he window, practically blinding the sleeping blonde. She was mustering all of her strength to avoid waking up; she refused. She was still incredibly tired and had no intention of waking up anytime soon. Not only that, but she felt especially warm and cozy this morning. It was a feeling she had never felt before and she wasn't going to risk losing the feeling either. Of course, life didn't share her sentiment as her phone blared intensely, awaking the sleeping beauty. Erina groaned as she flopped around, grabbed the phone that rested barely on the edge of the bed, and turned the alarm off. She arose and stretched, letting out a stifled yawn. She felt the strap of her nightgown slip off her shoulder, but she could't even see properly yet. To hell with this strap, thinking Erina Nakiri would give it the time of day while she was still trying to readjust to the brightened setting. Eyes lazily half open, she looked around the room. She didn't know what she was expecting; it was Soma's room after all. She had already spent a night in it, it's not like anything would suddenly be any different this night. His barely standing nightstand, his nearly bursting hamper, Soma's resting body right next to her holding onto her hand, his workdesk that honestly did not match the room at all. It was all the same.

Wait, what?

Erina's eyes widened in shock as her gaze locked back onto Soma, who was still in a deep sleep next to her. They were both still on the edge of the bed, the same spot they sat last night.

" _Did…did we fall asleep?! Together?! In the same room?! Same bed?! Why are we still holding hands?! Wait…was he the reason I was so warm and comfortable?!"_ shouted Erina as she was about to yank her hand away. Just then, she stopped herself and covered her mouth with her other hand. She didn't want to wake him up. For one, she didn't want to go through the torture of trying to explain the already indecent and embarrassing situation. But more importantly…

He looked so peaceful.

Erina stared at his resting face. He looked so…calm. It was a different kind of calm, however. The only time Erina has seen any sort of calmness on his face was when it was paired with a deadly and piercing gaze. But here he was, free from the stress and pain from the day before. He looked so…

" _Why is he so cute…wait what?!"_ thought Erina, face ablaze from her thought. Throughout her entire life, she had never awknlowdged a male on their appearance. It never mattered to her, they were all inferior to her in the end. When she did think of falling for a guy, she always thought it'd be someone on her level. Someone who was organized, captivating, polite, gentleman-like, clean-cut, and charming. But here she was, heart racing at the speed of sound as it swooned over this rougish, disshevled and chaotic boy. But if one thing did fit the category, she had to admit. Soma _was_ handsome.

" _Well…I don't know if handsome is the best word to describe him…he's more-so just…"_ thought Erina and she stared at his peaceful face and then thought back to the his other more attractive expressions. She thought back to his serious glares, his charming smiles of pure happiness, his more confident, sly, and almost seductive smiles and gazes.

"… _Hot…"_ thought Erina as she blushed, unable to control her emotions. Before she knew it, she had taken her left hand and began to run it through his long crimson locks. To her surprise, his hair was incredibly soft. Despite it's sharp and chaotic appearance, his hair slipped through her fingers like silk. She couldn't help but continue to run her hands through his hair, smiling fondly at the soothed boy. Soon, her hand went over to the noticeably large gash over his right eyebrow. She glided her hand across it, hovering over it and barely touching it. Her hand then continued lower down to his cheeks and then stopped at his lips. She couldn't help but stare at his soft lips, a million thoughts racing through her head. Her face flushed, and she began to shake her head, in hopes of shaking what she deemed as lewd thoughts out of her head. Before she knew it, she found herself leaning in.

" _What am I doing?! Why can't I stop?! What is this…this feeling?! I just can't…stop…I don't…want…"_ thought Erina as she leaned in further. Merely inches away, she gasped as Soma's eyes began to move subtly. She pulled back quickly, cracking her back in the process as Soma rose up and rubbed his eyes. He stretched his arms as far as he could and let out a long and slow yawn. He went back to rubbing his eyes afterwards. Erina, on the other hand, watched in complete and utter horror, unsure of what to do next as he opened his eyes and stared right back at her. She didn't know what to say, she didn't know what to do. What could she _possibly_ do to make this situation better? Well, on the bright side, she was sure there was no way for her to make the situation any worse.

"S-Soma…I-I can ex-" she started before Soma interrupted her.

"Mornin' Erina" Soma said as he yawned again and tightly shut his eyes again and opened the, trying to adjust to the current setting. Once his vision cleared up, he found himself staring in complete awe at the blonde before her. Her hair was disheveled and messy, but in a way that Soma couldn't help but think was cute. She was in a frilly pink nightgown with thin straps that hung over her shoulders, though one of the straps were slipping of her shoulder. His eyes wandered to her slender shoulders, then to her neck, then down to her chest. He couldn't help but notice how the nightgown was slight lower than it should be, revealing the top of her ample breasts. His hypnotic state broke as he saw the nightgown move up, covering up the skin that he was locked onto. His eyes darted up to Erina, who had slipped the shoulder strap back on and adjusted her dress. Her mouth quivered uncontrollably while her eyes were widened. Soma knew one thing; he recognized that look. That look of pure humiliation mixed with rage.

"Eh?" was all he sputter out. Soma shot up and raced towards the door and attempted to exit. Before he could, Erina tossed a pillow at the red-head. It crashed against his back as he exited, only after he heard the wail of the Ice Queen.

"GET. OUT!" she shouted as he slammed the door behind him, breathing heavily. He leaned on the door and slid down, burying his head in his hands.

" _That…could have gone better"_

* * *

Jouichirou raised an eyebrow at Soma who was scratching the back of his head with a nervous smile and Erina who was very noticeably twitching in rage, arms crossed against her chest. Jouichirou simply shrugged his shoulders as he closed the door to the restaurant behind him. He walked over to the car and unlocked the door. He entered the car and started it up before rolling down the window.

"I don't know what happened between you two, so you should sort it out before I go to drop her off, Soma" Jouichirou, putting an emphasis on his son's name.

"Wha-How do you know it's my fault?!" shouted Soma.

"Because it is your fault!" Erina shouted, breaking her silence. Jouichirou rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm gonna go pick something up, I'll be back in five. Sort it out, kiddies" he responded. He waved at the two and drove off, leaving the redhead and the blonde on the sidewalk. Erina had gone back to her original position, looking away from Soma and avoiding eye contact. Soma itched his cheek and let out a sigh.

"I said I'm sor-"

"Shut up" Erina responded angrily, venom splattered on her word.

"It was an accident, I swear!" Soma said, trying to defend himself. Erina spun around quickly, starling Soma as she glared at him with hate in her eyes.

"An accident?! You could have reached your next birthday if you stared a second longer!" she shouted angrily.

"I really didn't mean to stare, I promise! It's just…" Soma started, unsure of how to exactly defend himself.

"It's just _what_ , huh?! Care to explain yourself, pervert!" she shouted. Soma put his finger over his lips and made a shushing sound.

"Can you not shout that in the middle of the street?!" Soma said in a loud whisper. Erina huffed and spun around, still upset with him. Soma just let out a sigh as he shrugged.

"Listen, I really am sorry. I shouldn't have stared, I admit that" he said, holding his hand up. Erina opened one eye and looked over to Soma, who was smiling gleefully away at her. Erina let out a sigh and rolled her eyes.

"You're so annoying, you know that" she finally said, shaking her head again.

"Now that I think about it, why were you just staring at me?" Soma asked blankly, genuinely confused. Erina jumped at his question and spun back around, holding her hand up.

"I forgive you, don't worry about it! I'm over it, really!" Erina shouted, laughing awkwardly. Soma looked at her confusingly but then shrugged, getting over the topic. Luckily for Erina, Soma wasn't one to linger on something for too long. She let out a sigh of relief and smiled back at Soma. To her surprise, his soft golden eyes were gazing back at her. They were filled with warmth and comfort as a smile spread across his face.

"Again, I just want to say thanks. It's been fun having you around, really. And you know…you helped. A lot" Soma said with a laugh. Erina was surprised with his sudden appreciation but then giggled.

"Of course, I can't have a single day where I _don't_ have to rescue you. Honestly, it's a miracle you've even made it through your whole life without me" Erina responded, mockingly and trying to get on Soma's nerve. But of course, getting on Soma's never wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world.

"To be honest, though! I feel like a lot of things would have been easier with you around! You're so smart after all" he laughed, genuinely complimenting her. Of course, this was nothing but condescending to Erina as she gritted her teeth and balled her hands into a fist. Soma didn't notice as he laughed away. Erina soon let go of the anger that was bubbling inside her and calmed down. She turned to Soma and walked over to him, standing barely a few inches away.

"Uh, what's up, Erina?" Soma asked confusingly and with suspicion, trying to see if Erina was testing her or something. She held her hand out and pouted, confusing Soma even more.

"Give me your phone. Now" demanded Erina. Soma stared at her, unsure of what to say. But in the end, he decided to just hand it to her. Without warning, she swiped her finger across from right to left, opening the camera app. She then got closer to the redhead, who was still trying to process what was going on. She smiled wide and held her arm out to make sure they were both in the shot. She pressed the circle near the bottom of the screen and just like that, the picture was taken. She took a look at the picture and smiled. She looked great, of course. Soma, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out what was happening and looked confused, as usual. She tossed the phone back to Soma, to which he fumbled between his hand before securing it.

"Add that to your scrapbook, yeah?" she said sarcastically. Soma's mouth widened a bit in shock, but then changed into a smile. Erina's smile faded as she felt Soma pull her back by her arm and turned her around. She spun and pressed up against Soma's chest and gripped onto his shoulder, trying to keep her balance.

"H-hey! What's the big ide-"

Click.

Soma brought back his retracted arm and looked at the picture. Soma let out an evil laugh before allowing his sly smirk to appear on his face again.

"Now _this_ is a picture that I'll put in the scrapbook" he laughed. Erina was powerless against that smile; her emotions had begun to run wild again. Just in the nick of time, Soma's father had pulled up in front of them.

"You ready to go, Erina-chan?" he asked. Erina turned and nodded to him, deciding to let Soma win this one. As she entered the backseat, she rolled down the window and looked back at Soma, who was still grinning away.

"You suck"

"I'll see you back at school too, Erina" Soma responded with a smile. Erina shook her head and smiled back as they drove off.

Erina's phone rang as a notification popped up; it was from Soma. She opened it only to find the picture that Soma had quickly taken before they departed. This time, Soma was smiling gleefully and confidently while Erina was caught off guard, obviously not ready to take the picture. Contrary to Erina's initial thoughts, she found the picture to be very…cute. She smiled as she saved the picture and set it as her background. Shaking her head, she looked out the window.

" _Stupid Soma Yukihira"_ she thought, smiling away at the passing scenery. Jouichirou caught a glimpse of the blonde who's smile was brilliantly outshining the sun itself through the rear-view mirror and smiled.

 _ **A/N: Honestly, I wasn't planning on uploading another chapter so soon but after reading all the reviews for my latest one, I couldn't help but get back on it. Tbh I hope no one thought I was going to actually disappear, I was just tired from staying up all night working on the chapter LOL. Everyone had such nice things to say about the end and honestly, I hated how I did it. I kept thinking it wasn't enough and was wracking my brain trying to make it better. I'm sure I'll revisit it eventually, but for now if you guys enjoy it, that's all that matters! Also the selfie bit was inspired by what I think is my favorite pic of the two lovebirds, which I'll set as the story pic for now on, lul. Once again, enjoy and please review!**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Erina-chan!" wailed the pink-haired teen as she ran over to the blonde, tears spewing out of her eyes like a waterfall. Erina sighed and smiled at her overprotective aid and nearly toppled over as Hisako practically threw herself onto the headmaster.

"I was so worried! You took so long to message me back and you left me on read like ten times!" she sobbed, sobbing into Erina's uniform. Erina awkwardly laughed as she looked around, hoping no one was anywhere near to see. Thankfully, luck was on her side.

"Hisako, calm down. I just decided to scout around, see if there was anything worth investing in" Erina said, letting a sigh of relief escape her lips as Hisako finally released the blonde from her iron grip. As Hisako wiped away the last of her tears, she noticed something different about Erina. Her smile had a different kind of brilliance to it. Erina's eyes were softer and had a brighter shine to them, her voice was soother.

She seemed happier. Hisako couldn't help but smile back, confusing the blonde. Erina let out a laugh and raised her eyebrow in curiosity. However, her smile didn't leave her expression.

"Everything okay, Hisako?" she asked, letting out a small laugh. Hisako shook her head and tilted her head, looking at the blonde at an angle.

"Did you enjoy your trip, Erina-chan?" Hisako asked softly as her tone changed from worry to loving and tender. Erina closed her eyes and pushed her hair back behind her ear, walking away with one of her suitcases.

"I suppose you could say that. Help me with my luggage, won't you please?" she responded, clearly even happier than before. Hisako let out a giggle, grabbed the suitcase, and followed her.

"What's in these suitcases, anyway? I don't recall you leaving with any luggage"

"Er, you can call them souvenirs" Hisako's expression lit up in interest, but then she let out a loud gasp, remembering something.

"Oh, I almost forgot! We recently received a new application for Howitt-san's lecture class" Erina faced her assistant, frowning due to the fact she still had to work despite thinking she had everything done. She suddenly found herself wishing to be back at Restaurant Yukihira. She let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head.

"Oh, is that so? I'll be sure to review it once I settle down. What's the applicants name?" Hisako looked up, trying to rack her brain.

"I believe it was…Asahi Suzuki?"

* * *

Boring.

That was the only word that echoed through Soma's head as he flickered through the channels, mindlessly smashing the "Next" button on his remote. It was strange. Normally, Soma was easily entertained. He found ways to make anything and everything interesting, even challenging. But ever since the departure of the princess herself, he found himself stuck in a void. It's been less than two hours since she left. Or was it? Maybe it's been more? Maybe it's been less? All Soma knew was that it felt as if his entire life was passing by, waiting for the semblance of an idea to prop up in his constantly working brain, contrary to popular belief. Eventually, he tossed the remote to the side out of frustration and groaned. The red-head was just about to take out his phone before he heard the clicking of footsteps coming from the stairwell. Soma shot up, and looked over the couch to find his father, messing with his hair. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, meeting with Soma's eyes. A wide smile appeared on his face as his son smiled right back.

"Yo, what's up?" he said walking over to Soma, ruffling his hair. Soma growled in irritation followed by his father's laughter. He knew how much Soma hated it when people messed with his hair, but it only motivated him to do so even more. Soma begrudgingly let his father go without an earful and groaned, plopping back down onto the couch.

"Nothing. Nothing is up at all. There's like nothing to do, pops" Soma groaned, covering his eyes with his forearm. Jouichirou raised an eyebrow at his kid, then let out a chuckle that boomed throughout the room. Soma uncovered his eyes, watching his father in anticipation. He knew that laugh. It was a precursor to something Soma was very familiar with. He watched anxiously as the demonic aura infected the living room. His father, Jouichirou Yukihira, was no longer there. In his place, piercing into Soma's eyes with his own set of cold golden eyes. Soma sat up straight, eyes wide open as he trembled. Despite that, he couldn't find himself to look away from his father. His overwhelming presence was shaking Soma to the core.

"How about a Shokugeki, eh? The rule still applies to Alumni, you know" he said with a confident and terrifying smile. Jouichirou knew he was good. He knew how feared he was in the competitive world. Everyone quaked in fear when he let out his locked-up persona. Anyone with sense was left crushed under the exuding pressure of the Asura himself. This, however, was the first time that he revealed it to Soma. Sure, his son got a mere glimpse of it during his visit to the Polar Star Dormitory, but this time it was all out in display. His son was in his second year now, Jouichirou can no longer restrain himself.

He watched Soma tremble uncontrollably, refusing to meet his father's glare. Jouichirou let out a soft sigh as he watched his son.

"… _Maybe I went too far. He's probably not ready ye-"thought_ his father before Soma looked up, engaging Jouichirou's piercing gaze with his own. A look of surprise appeared on Jouichirou's face as the realization of what was truly happening to his son came into light. He wasn't quivering out of fear at all.

He was excited.

Adrenaline was pumping into Soma's bloodstream as his widened eyes met with his father's. A wide smile from ear to ear appeared on his face as his excitement overflowed. He couldn't contain himself, jumping up off the couch and standing firmly before his father. Jouichirou watched his son in surprise as a shiver went down his spine. This feeling; it was something he never felt before but yet, it felt so expected. Jouichirou was always the top dog, he was always the one that everyone feared.

But for a moment, just for a moment, manifesting itself for the first time, the father caught a glimpse of Soma's own aura. His own destructive and uncontrollable spirit that thrashed around the room, overwhelming even Jouichirou's.

 _Of course._

"Let's go, right now! This is just what I needed…bring it on, dad!" he shouted, struggling to contain his excitement. Jouichirou couldn't help but smile at the burning passion exuding from his son as he raced down the stairs.

" _You truly are my salvation, just like your mother"_ Jouichirou thought, fondly glancing at the wedding band on his ring finger before making his way down the stairs.

* * *

"Dang it! I guess that's four-hundred and ninety-two to zero" Soma said begrudgingly, as he crossed his arms and glared at his dish. He leaned in close, trying to figure out what he could add and what he should take out. He made an exquisite dish consisting of Truffled Orecchiette with what seemed to be Merguez drizzled in Bolognese sauce and minced duck. Jouichirou let out a laugh as he watched the putting redhead.

"You really threw everything you could into that dish, didn't ya?" asked the elder Yukihira. Soma looked up at him, unsure of what he meant.

"Merguez is a type of sausage that originally came from Maghrebi cuisine and popularized in France during the end of the twentieth century. You made sure to be light with the Bolognese so it didn't overpower the sausage and also let it set in the Orecchiette with the duck so it could absorb some of it's flavor. And those minced pieces of duck…" Jouichirou explained as he picked out a piece and ate it.

"It's confit, isn't it? You cooked it in its own fat" Soma smiled brightly as he sat on the bar stool, cross-legged.

"Yup! Learned it from Shinomiya-senpai. He told me it's one of the many basic cooking techniques and used a lot especially in the southern region of France" Soma said, with a smile.

"South _western_ region of France" Jouichirou corrected.

"Whatever, same thing" Soma said with a shrug. Suddenly, Jouichirou lightly punched Soma's chest, too soft to cause any harm, and let it rest there. Soma looked up at his smiling father, who was filled with nothing but pride.

"I'm proud of you, kid. You really have changed so much in only one year. I can't wait to see where you're headed" Jouichirou had a warm smile and a loving look in his eyes. He truly did love Soma. Soma gazed in shock as the Asura he had encountered an hour or so back was gone and in his replacement was his loving, carefree but always reliable father. Soma smiled back widely, a blush tinging his cheeks.

"Come on, pops. Where'd that come from? Of course, I have, I _do_ intend to surpass you, ya know?" Soma said nervously, very clearly embarrassed by his doting father. Jouichirou let out a booming laugh as he ruffled his son's hair.

"I'm surprised though, where'd you get the truffles from, eh? Did your blondie _girlfriend_ buy 'em for you when you guys were out on your little mall date?" he asked mockingly, snickering away at his now flustered son.

"W-what?! She's not my girlfriend!" Soma shouted, caught off-guard by his dad's assumption. Jouichirou laughed and took a seat next to his son. Soma's blush faded when his father donned a more serious expression, though relaxed and still smiling.

"You trust her a lot, don't ya?" he asked. At first, Soma was unsure of how to answer. It's not that he had trouble trusting people. He knew the people that would be good for him and those that aren't showing their true colors. But opening up like he did…was it because she had already caught him, or did he genuinely have faith in her? What if she told everyone about his meltdown? Would she?

No. She wouldn't, he thought with an affectionate smile appearing on his face, catching Jouichirou off guard.

"I dunno. I guess, we have been through a lot. I guess I kinda trust her a little bit more than Megumi and Isshiki. Never really thought about it" Soma finally answered, eyes closed and a content smile on his face. It was a different smile from before. It normally took Soma a week or so to get out of that yearly phase, but it was different now. _HE_ was different now. Jouichirou let out a warm chuckle as he took a sip of water.

"Hey, dad…" started Soma. Jouichirou kept his gaze locked onto his glass of water, staring at his own reflection.

"What's up?"

"What was it like when you first met mom?" Jouichirou slightly turned his head towards Soma and smiled. Soma wasn't asking out of sadness or nostalgia. He was curious. He was looking for answers.

"She saw right through me. She didn't see the former Second Seat. She didn't assume I was some rich kid that just went to a preppy skill because I had the money. She never once called me a genius or whatnot" started the middle-aged man as his rugged appearance donned a softer and nostalgic expression. There was love and fondness in his eyes. He let out a laugh and scoffed.

"Matter of fact, she called me an idiot more times than I could remember. Did I tell you that the only reason I ended up working here was because I ran out of money?"

"Really? I thought you opened it with Mom" Jouichirou's laugh boomed throughout the diner.

"Nah, that was never the case. It's actually a funny story…"

* * *

The young redhead opened his wallet only to be greeted with a puff of smoke. Jouichirou twitched nervously as a sheepish laugh escaped his lips. A bead of sweat dropped down his face as he slowly turned his head to the young white-haired woman. She was about 5'7 or 5'8. Not too short, not too tall. Her skin was a porcelain white that matched her short silver mane and compliment her light blue eyes. Despite their color, the amount of heat and anger exuding from those eyes were scalding. He didn't even have to meet her eyes to know they were boring into his soul.

" _Okay, okay. Think Jouichirou, think. What can you do to get out of this situation…"_ thought the young Jouichirou. It had been nearly two years since he left Totsuki and his wallet was finally running dry. He was going around as a freelance chef, and the expenses were finally going over his budget. Yes, he made incredibly money, but they were in short bursts and scattered due to his wavering passion for cooking. He decided to return to Japan and grab breakfast, but did he remember to check his wallet after his otherworldly costly ticket from New York back to Japan.

No. Why would he? He was too hungry to really think about it.

Now here he sat, unsure of his next step. Whatever his next move was, he had to make it a power play. It was do-or-die. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in the young chef's head.

" _Hmm…it's kinda risky…but what choice do I have?!"_ exclaimed Jouichirou, as if he was some sort of Shonen protagonist. He shut his eyes, trying to reform his fearful and embarrassed appearance. He took in a deep breath and stood up. The white-haired woman was caught off guard and took a step back, unsure of what this roguish redhead was going to do. Suddenly, he opened his eyes revealing his piercing gaze and seductive smile, injecting his charisma into the young chef. Her cheeks were infected with a crimson shade as he grabbed the woman and pulled her close, her body pressed up against his.

"W-what are you-" sputtered the white-haired woman, unable to get a hold of herself. He leaned in close, and whispered into her ear, making her shudder.

"Hey…you're really cute, you know that? It'd be a shame to let someone of your beauty go…" he whispered, so sensual and hypnotic that the woman couldn't help but shudder, goosebumps running through the entirety of her body.

"How about we go out somewhere, yeah…? Get some alone time and forget about the che-"continued Jouichirou before he felt a crushing blow strike the top of his head. He fell to the floor, catching the attention of the other customers. They stared in complete shock at the redhead who was now clutching onto the top of his head, trying to soothe the pain. They looked up and trembled in fear at the fuming waitress. Her fist was still clenched, as if she was ready to deliver another blow. Out of the desire to keep themselves safe, all the customers turned back to their food and began to consume their breakfast at a much faster pace, trying their best to get out of there as soon as possible.

"What the hell, lady?! What do you do on the side, MMA?!" shouted the redhead, still tightly gripping onto his head as the throbbing pain ricocheted inside his head.

"Who the hell do you think you are, huh?! Pulling me in and saying such…such improper and unprofessional things?! And to top it all off, trying to weasel your way out of paying your bill?!" she shouted, putting more emphasis on the last part.

" _Okay so trying to get out of paying definitely hit a nerve"_ though Jouichirou as he got up. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled at the waitress. It was different though, which caught the woman off guard again. It was much more innocent. It was apologetic, friendly, and welcoming.

"My bad, I definitely overstepped my boundaries. It was a trick I learned back in Vegas and other parts of the United States, figured it was worth a shot back here" he explained as a jolly and carefree laugh came out of him, confusing the woman even more.

What kind of guy is this? Casually doing something so scandalous, and then shrugging it off and treating it like some party trick he wanted to experiment with?

Before her train of thoughts concluded, he clapped hands together and bent over.

"I'm really sorry about all that. It's just that I recently got back from a trip and I'm kinda low on money. No harsh feelings?" he continued. He rose up and smiled brilliantly, eyes closed. The woman was unsure how to respond. Yes, he did come off as obnoxious and disrespectful. Matter of fact, he was just like every other scum that would wander their way into the diner. But this expression of his was simply compelling, to say the least. The waiter let out a sigh and crossed her arms against her chest.

"I suppose...I can overlook your rude behavior…" she responded.

" _What the hell?! Why am I forgiving this guy so easily? This guy is so…weird?!"_ thought the lady as her focused on the empty plate.

"Thank you, honestly. It means a lot…" Jouichirou took a moment to look for her name tag. Once he had located it, he smiled once more.

"..Akari-chan" Akari blushed almost instinctively. It was an odd sensation…this feeling that she was getting from him…it was…

"So, I'm just gonna make my way out, yeah? Thanks for the meal, Aki-chan" he laughed as he made quick gestures towards the door. He turned and waved, marching his way towards the door. As he was about to exit, he felt intense sting surge through his ear. Akari's iron grip had trapped Jouichirou's ear.

It was exactly what she would expect out of scum.

She pulled him back by his ear, ignoring his wails of pain. Jouichirou turned around and was face to face with what he found to be the most terrifying force he had ever faced. He was assured he would have nightmares for days to come after witnessing the purest embodiment of rage on the platinum-haired woman. A vein protruded off the side of her forehead, snarling and baring her teeth before her prey.

"You're not weaseling out of here, punk. You're going to pay me back, whether you like it or not" she snarled, shaking Jouichirou to the core.

* * *

"So hold on, you want me to _work_ at your restaurant for a week? I only ordered like 2,000 yen's worth of food!" The two were now behind the counter of the now emptied out diner. The morning rush had just ended, turning the originally bustling diner into a foreign wasteland.

"2,300 yen, to be exact. And if it wasn't worth that much, how come you can't pay for it?" Akari snickered, leaving Jouichirou speechless.

"You know this is illegal" he protested, crossing his arms.

"Oh, you want to bring the cops into this, huh? Should I also bring up your little sexual assault and poor attempt at scamming?" she argued back with an evil smirk on her face. She knew she had the redhead beat. One look at his nervous smile and suddenly passive tone was enough to graze Akari's ego.

"Fine, fine. I'll work at your diner" groaned Jouichirou. He shrugged and caught the navy-blue shirt that she had tossed at him. It had the restaurant logo on the left chest region as well as the back. Jouichirou smiled as he started to take his shirt off, catching the woman off guard. She immediately turned around and shielded her eyes. Her originally empowered and domineering attitude transformed into one of embarrassment as her face flushed.

"W-what are you doing, you idiot?!" Akari shouted, flustered and too astonished to fully comprehend the situation.

"This is a pretty snazzy uniform if I'm going to be completely honest. I like it" Jouichirou said casually as he slipped it on. He turned to Akari who still had her back to her and looked at her blankly and confused.

"What are ya lookin over there for, huh?" he asked, pointing to her.

"What the hell is the matter with you? Do you have no decency?!" she shouted angrily, still covering her blushed face.

"What? You gave me the uniform, I figured you'd want me to put it on" he answered back. She turned around, still covering her eyes with one hand and flailing her arm wildly.

"Oh, calm down it's not that serious. You can look now, I have the shirt on" he laughed, trying his best to contain his laughter. She moved her hands and glared at the chuckling man, eyes filled with irritation and astonishment.

"What, are you laughing at me or something?! My reaction as totally normal, you psycho!" shouted the lady. She was livid, but she couldn't help but admire how perfectly the shirt clung onto his well-built and lean body. It was as if it was made specifically for him.

"You're calling me the psycho? Did you see how hard you punched me? You have the brute force of a thousand burly sumo wrestlers!" he mocked, only making himself laugh harder. He was keeling over, holding onto his stomach as he laughed his heart out, only frustrating his new boss even more. He stood up straight when he noticed her very delicate footsteps only increase in volume. She stomped her way to the abrasive redhead who was still struggling to contain his giggles. She sucked her teeth as she stared at him, wondering if she would only be damaging his reputation by allowing such a careless, irresponsible, and freeloading scumbag board her ship. She took her slender finger and firmly tapped it against Jouichirou's chest, repeatedly. She could feel his sculpted pectorals, but she didn't give it a second's thought.

"You better not do anything to ruin what I have going on, got it? Do I make myself clear?" she said, repeatedly pressing her finger against his chest after each word of her latest statement. Their faces were merely inches away. Akari had an intense gaze; she wasn't joking around. Her eyes were cold and piercing without a single trace of happiness or enjoyment. Jouichirou, however, was relaxed. He was still smiling away, eyes relaxed but just as piercing, further infuriating the girl.

"You know, I wasn't kidding when I said you were cute" Jouichirou said slyly, catching Akari off guard. Her face slowly began to light up as she backed away. She looked down at her feet, obviously shaken by his comment. She looked back up, fuming with rage. She turned and stomped away.

"Whatever! Just, clean the dishes, rookie" she stammered. Just as she was about to exit the kitchen and go up the stairs, she had overheard his obnoxious and overbearing chuckle once more.

"Whatever you say, Aki-senpai" he teased, only grinding the woman's gears even more.

* * *

"Damn, mom hated your guts" Soma said blankly, hurting his father.

"What?! No, she didn't! We just got off on the wrong foot, that's all" Jouichirou tried to defend himself, but Soma wasn't having it.

"Yeah, no. She literally despised you" Jouichirou gritted his teeth, craned his neck and glared at Soma.

"Didn't Erina-chan hate your guts too, punk?" Soma looked up, tapping his chin. Now, of course. Erina made it very evident that she wanted nothing to do with the redhead. Soma's head canon, however…

"Na, we were pretty chill the whole time. We just poke jokes at each other a lot" Soma said with an assured laugh. Jouichirou rolled his eyes and took another sip of his water.

"Is that so…" Before he could even set his glass down, he noticed Soma's staring at him intently.

"What?" Jouichirou asked blankly, genuinely confused with his son's sudden interest in something besides cooking.

"Weellll? Tell me more, come on! You can't leave me with a cliff hanger! What happened after that?" Soma asked, his eyes sparkling and gleaming with hope that his father would continue the story.

"Really? You're interested in this kind of stuff?" Jouichirou asked, genuinely surprised by his son's sudden interest. Soma gazed up at the ceiling before answering his father.

"I mean, yeah. Ever since I found out all this stuff about how you went to Totsuki and what went down, I realized there's not a lot that I know about you. I really do want to know what mom did that was able to save you!" he asked. Jouichirou was caught off guard, to say the least. He let out a laugh and took another sip of his water.

"Well, if you really insist"

* * *

Akari gently unwrapped the towel around the top of her head. Her silver locks gracefully descended below her shoulders. As she massaged her hair with the towel, she gazed from the old mattress, in desperate need of replacement, to the breaking down dresser and the flickering lamp on her nightstand. She sighed, continuing to dry her hair while staring at the mirror. Once she finished, she paused and really examined her reflection. She turned to different angles, observing and checking herself out. She was truly a beautiful woman; easily capable of getting into the modeling world. At least, that's what frequent customers have told her, especially those who have found themselves infatuated with her, trying painstakingly hard to gain her attention. But then, her eyes trailed off to a portrait of her and her parents, letting out a sad sigh.

Her goals just never really aligned with devoting herself to a relationship. Yet here she was, trying to make sure she looked as enchanting as possible. All for what? A blush formed on her cheeks as she let out a sigh. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed throughout the entirety of the second floor. Akari jerked bolted out of her room and raced downstairs. Once she had made her way down, she noticed the redhead locked onto a group of three men, all studded out in designer clothing and jewelry. Akari scanned the room and noticed a table that had fallen surrounded by shards of glass and a canister that had held silverware and chopsticks, which were sprawled across the floor. Then it hit her, it didn't just fall over.

It was kicked over, by none other by the most pompous looking of the ruffians. Her knees began to wobble as she looked over the disaster area, then to the three gangsters, then back to Jouichirou. Akari stared in shock as she gazed upon Jouichirou. His face was calm and collected, but deadly. His amber eyes were unphased and piercing. His glare was locked onto the three laughing mobsters, with nothing more than a slight, unamused, frown. Once the three had finished laughing, the short and hunched over rascal looked over to Akari. Once they're gazes met, a mischievous and perverted smile formed on his face. His eyes revealed nothing but repulsive and malice intent.

"Hey Hayatao-san, Goro-kun, look who finally decided to show herself" the hunched over man said to the other two. The one in the middle was much older looking, with slicked back auburn hair and hazel eyes. The one to the right of him had long black hair and multiple face tattoos and piercings.

"Oh, Akari-chan, it's been a while? How have you been?" the hazel eyes man said, walking over to Akari and resting his hand on her cheek. In an instant, she swatted his hand away, eyes fueled with anger. Hayato was unphased by her resistance and shrugged it off, while the two behind him snickered. Jouichirou watched intently, eyebrow raised as he observed the situation to get a better hold of what was unfolding before him.

"What do you want, Hayato?" Akari spat, her eyes trying to melt into his soul. However, he was simply too cold to the bone to be affected by it.

"You know what I want, missy. It's time for you to pay up for your monthly debt, don't act like you don't remember" he scoffed. Akari was taken aback, realizing just how long it had been since he last visited.

"W-what? Wait, I need more time! Just a few more days, that's all I need!" she sputtered. Her confidence disappeared, replaced by worrisome eyes as she begged for mercy. Hayato responded with a merciless cackle, followed by the laughter of his lackeys.

"Oh man, how do I wish I could give you that extra time! But I've been lookin at these pretty spiffy new shoes, ya see? Plus, I've been wanting to take my boys out and treat em, we've been kinda hungry for more than just food" he laughed, leering at Akari and looking up and down. Akari's face scrunched up in disgust and horror as the gangster inched even closer, his face merely inches away from her. He softly held onto Akari's chin and pushed her head up to meet his eyes.

"Unless you have another method of payment in mind, my dear Akari- _chan"_ he said with a low and raspy voice, only further disgusting the platinum beauty. In the next instant, Akari gasped as Jouichirou forced his way between them, adamantly shoving the now angered brunette.

"Hey! Who the fuck do you think you ar-" he shouted before Jouichirou held out one finger. Everyone's focus was now locked onto Jouichirou, awaiting his next move. Absolute shock surged through their bodies as he ignored the three of them and turned to Akari.

"What's the big deal? Who are these guys?" he asked. His voice was stern and serious. The previous humorous and overzealous tone that originally hid under his voice was gone. Akari leaned in and began to whisper in his ear.

"His name is Hayato Kusanagi. He's part of the underground group that manipulates and blackmails businesses into paying them money by tricking them and hiding their true colors. He says he's part of an underground cult called _Le Cuisinier Noir_ " she whispered, anger in her voice.

"It's French." He said abruptly, confusing Akari.

"It means 'The Midnight Chefs'. I've heard of them" he continued, eyes locked onto the three that were all glaring at him with their rotten eyes, bursting at the seams with anger and irritation. Akari was shocked by his knowledge, realizing there was more than meets the eye with this man. He walked forward and, in the instant, Akari was put into a trance as she hid behind him.

His broad back, his piercing gaze, his unwavering determination as he stood face to face with what she had nightmares about. It was all so…

…protective.

"I have a proposition" Jouichirou asked, voice deep and calm.

"Let me make a dish for you. If you deem it tasty and I win, you and your little goons have to leave immediately, and I won't say a word to another soul about your little blackmail" Jouichirou announced.

"And what do we get if we don't think it's so good?" asked Hayato, interest piqued by this challenge. Jouichirou smiled confidently and walked over to them, barely inches away from their face.

"Her debt will go over to me and I'll be responsible for paying it" Akari stomped towards Jouichirou and pulled him by his pony-tail.

"What the hell? What's wrong with you?!" he shouted. He turned around, feeling his heart tighten as he watched the pouting Akari, trying to glare at him while also trying her hardest to prevent tears from falling. Her red puffy eyes and burning face betrayed her desire to be intimidating as her voice trembled.

"Listen, just leave and pretend this never happened. Don't get yourself involved with my mistake. Forget the bill, okay?" she said with her quivering voice. Jouichirou's piercing glare change into a softer gaze, being infected by the sadness and pain in her eyes. He looked down, hiding his face.

"How much are you off by with this debt?" he whispered, just barely audible enough for her to catch on.

"I don't know…maybe like 1,900 yen or so…?" Jouichirou's fist tightened in anger as an overwhelming sense of guilt began to eat away at him. Akari slowly averted her gaze to his trembling fist, feeling him shake in rage. However, that trembling soon disappeared as he let go of his tightened fist and turned towards the three men in front of him, smiling and snickering as if they had already won.

"Change of plans, how about this" he said, his voice now oozing with deadly calmness. He reached behind his head and untied his pony tail, releasing his long red locks from their confinement. Deadly silence infected the restaurant as Jouichirou's attitude shifted. His eyes were unforgiving, merciless, and hungry for blood as he stared at the three who were now trembling. The air had gotten heavy, the tension crushing everyone as they stood before what could only be described as demonic and murderous.

"If I win, you will never enter this restaurant ever again and will never make any kind of contact with Akari-chan ever again" Hayato scoffed, trying his hardest to stop his trembling voice.

"W-why would we agree-"

"I didn't say I was done, fool. Don't interrupt me" Jouichirou spat coldly, his gaze still locked onto Hayato. Hayato flinched and took a step back as his breath got heavier and heavier.

"If I lose, it'll be relatively the same. But in addition..I'll join you little Midnight Chef entourage. I'm sure you'd be happy to recruit a former Totsuki student, yeah?" Their eyes widened in shock at Jouichirou's revelation. Akari's eyes darted straight to Jouichirou, who was still locked onto the hooligans in front of him. Hayato began to laugh hysterically, grabbing onto both of his lackey's shoulders for support. Once he had recomposed himself, a smirk appeared on his face as he licked his lips.

"You got a deal kid"

"Wait, hold on. Why did they agree in the first place?" asked the doubtful redhead, unsure of just how much of his father's story was true.

"What? How should I know?" Jouichirou exclaimed, offended that his own son is showing such disbelief.

"I mean, I figured you'd know. What if they didn't accept? Did you have a backup or something? Honestly, this is all so coincidental" Soma critiqued, annoying his father.

"Just shut up and listen, alright?"

"Wait, are you crazy?!" Akari shouted. She was about to reach out for Jouichirou's hand but stopped midway. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably as Jouichirou gazed at her from the corner of his eyes. He wasn't the same person she had met before. His eyes screamed out his thirst for blood, his desire to absolutely dominate. They had a murderous intent to it.

"You really have a death wish, huh? If that's how you want it" Hayato said as he rolled up sleeves, followed by the two next to him.

Jouichirou was unphased as he made his way behind the counter and instantly got to work. They watched in complete awe as the mastermind revealed his true colors, working at a pace that light itself would struggle to keep up with.

"J-just who is this guy?!" whispered the youngest one of the three.

"I don't know Ken-kun, but he knows what he's doing. Every single movement, every single adjustment…they're all perfect and intentional" responded Goro. Despite the unsure and worried expression of his two lackeys, Hayato was smiling. It was a shaky smile, a pathetic attempt to hide his true emotions

"Perfect addition to our group. Don't worry so much you two, he's just some diner rat. We've tasted food from world-class restaurants. Whatever muck he makes can't possibly stand a chance to our exquisite palate" Hayato snickered, reinvigorating his comrades' confidence.

The presence of her blackmailers had escaped Akari's mind as she found herself magnetized to Jouichirou as he thundered around the kitchen. It was an odd sensation. Akari couldn't help but feel sorry for Jouichirou. But surprisingly, it wasn't because he was risking himself for her. That's now what she was disturbed by. It was the air around him as he finished each step with destructive force. She could tell, that he was no ordinary chef, but contrary to feeling of fear that overwhelmed the other three, she couldn't help but watch with sorrowful eyes. She could see it all.

The anger.

The pain.

The despair.

It was as if with each stroke of the knife, each ingredient he put into the pot, each time he dialed the heat up, his soul cried for help.

Cooking was eating away at him.

"It's ready" he abruptly announced. In that moment, his thundering voice snapped everyone out of their respective daze and their laser focus was now on the ramen bowl in front of them. On the surface laid four large Tosa Wagyu beef slices, two tofu blocks, several slices of Shiitake Mushroom, and parsley. It was swimming in a pool of consommé along with the Shirataki noodles. The crimson red soup sparkled as it coated the translucent noodles. The beef slices look incredibly tender as it glistened, causing waterfalls of drool to slowly descend from the Midnight Chefs.

"Well, are you going to taste it or not?" he said, setting out three sets of chopsticks. Hayato looked up and scowled at the piercing redhead while the other two remained locked onto the dish.

"You won't keep that smartass attitude of yours once you're groveling by my feet, rat" His eyes filled with fear as Jouichirou grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him close, almost lifting him off the floor. The other watched in fear as they took a step back.

"I don't know who you think you are, but I'd watch my mouth if I were you. Calling me a rat in order to compensate for your own appearance, huh punk?" Jouichirou growled. His voice was calm, but that exact emotionless tone was what shook Hayato to the core. Jouichirou let him go and received a nasty look from Hayato as he smoothed out his shirt. The three of them grabbed their chopsticks and reached for the bowl. They slowly made their way to the food and picked out several noodle strands as well as one beef slice each. They stared at the food for a moment before finally taking a bite, all at the same time.

In that moment, the brutal assault of flavors demolished their taste buds, rendering them speechless as they fell to their knees and quivered in overwhelming pleasure. The tenderness of the beef gave it a satisfying chew as the juices oozed out. Combined with the tomato-flavored noodles and mixture of seasoning and spices, they could hardly hold in their grunts and moans of ecstasy.

The three found themselves in the middle of a Akari gasped as their clothing exploded off their bodies, leaving them in nothing but their underwear. Hayato looked up only to meet with the predatorial gaze of Jouichirou.

Jouichirou was looking down upon them, eyes cutting deep into their souls. In that moment, the realization hit them.

"W-wait a minute…you're that Totsuki kid, aren't you?! Jouichirou Saiba…the Asura!" Hayato exclaimed as Jouichirou kept his murderous look locked onto him. The way the redhead struck fear into Hayato was something Akari had never seen before. It was as if a lion had just caught its prey, just waiting to sink their teeth into it's next meal. Hayato's face flushed as he found himself bowing before a force that he had never felt before. Jouichirou's mere presence was contaminating the air around him.

"He's…he's not human…he's some kind of…monster!" Hayato shouted as he got up and ran out, followed by the other two. Akari couldn't believe what had just unfolded before her. This random man, a man she didn't even know the name of until just now, was able to drive away what she thought would be her eternal nightmare. As she turned her attention towards the red head, her jaw dropped at the sudden shift of his expressions.

"Oh man, they sure were annoying. Need help cleanin' that up?" Jouichirou laughed as he walked over to the table and set it straight up. He bent over and picked up the shattered pieces of glasses delicately, making sure he didn't get cut in the process. Akari was left speechless. Everything had just happened so fast. One moment she was cowering in fear and regret and in the next, this stranger made her nightmare vanish from existence in a matter of minutes. It all came back to the ramen dish that sparkled brilliantly on the table, brimming at the seams with an almost holy presence. Before she knew it, she found herself walking over to the dish and grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the container on the counter. Jouichirou finished setting the table back up and turned around, watching Akari take a bite of his dish.

* * *

In the next moment, Akari found herself shaken and gasping for air. An electric sensation coursed throughout her veins as she found herself warmed to another reality. Once she came to, the warm spring drowned her consciousness into a state of sublime pleasure. She opened her eyes and gasped in shock as she found herself in a traditional Japanese Onsen. The beautiful spectrum of trees surrounded her as the moonlight reflected off the water.

No.

What she thought to be water was in fact the crimson consommé that was a part of the Jouichirou's dish. Soon, the other ingredients began to float up, starting with the beef slices then the mushrooms. Akari's expression of confusion changed into shock as Jouichirou himself sprung out of the water.

"W-what?!" she shouted as he the naked redhead made his way over to her, lower-half still below the soup. She crossed her arms against her ample chest, blushing furiously. Soon, he leaned in close and loomed over her. She looked up as his placed his hand next to her face, on the rocks that rested behind her for support. He looked down on her as she looked up into his mesmerizing gaze. His golden eyes were narrowed but he had a promiscuous smile on his face. His eyes were seductive, filled with passion and desire while the predatorial craving hid behind. Akari couldn't help but fall to prey as she let her arms fall to her side and continued to fall into his trap. She knew that's what it was, but she didn't care as she tilted her head further up, awaiting Jouichirou's lips. As their lips met, another surge of electricity shocked the entirety of Akari's body.

* * *

Back in reality, Akari let out a loud moan as the flavors overtook her senses, rocking her to her core. Never had she tasted something so exotic but so familiar as well. The harmonious ingredients played with each other perfectly like a symphony. Akari was gasping for air, trying to catch her breath. Her face was flushed red as she failed to regain composure and control herself. Soon, a pair of shoes came into view as she stared at the ground. She slowly looked up, still trying to catch her breath, and was face to face with Jouichirou's look of confusion and wonder. That look faded away as he smiled at her, a smile more brilliant than a thousand shining suns.

"It wasn't much. Happy to serve!" he exclaimed.

But he wasn't. That smile, his kind eyes. It was all a lie, a façade, a masquerade to hide his true feelings. Akari could tell instantly.

There was sadness hidden behind those eyes.

 _ **A/N: So uhhh, this has long been overdue LOL. Sorry guys, I've been busy with moving into my dorm! College freshman now, so I might only be able to pump out a chapter per week. Maybe two if I really get in the zone. But don't worry, I won't abandon this story! Reading all your reviews and kind words just fills me with so much motivation to keep going! Really, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Please, enjoy and I hope you guys have a great day!**_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Soma couldn't help but smile as he watched his father smile. He looked as if he was falling in love all over again; there was happy reminiscence in his eyes as he stared at the wedding band, brushing it off and playing with it between his fingers.

"So, what happened next?" Jouichirou failed to respond as his lovingly gazed at the ring. Jouichirou snapped out of his daze when the crack of Soma's snapping fingers rang right next his ear.

"What?" Jouichirou asked he looked back at his giggling son in confusion.

"What happened after that? Did you pay off your debt? How'd you manage to convince her that you weren't totally useless?" Jouichirou shot an unamused glare at his laughing son and then looked back at his glass of water as he took an other sip.

* * *

"Shokugeki? The hell is that?" Akari asked with an emotionless and bland expression, not even glancing at the red-head as she continued to cook. Jouichirou nearly fell off the couch, surprised by her blunt attitude and obvious disinterest. After cleaning up downstairs, Akari had invited Jouichirou upstairs to formally thank him for his efforts. Despite he still owed her money, she couldn't just ignored the fact that he had actually saved her from running out of business.

"Have you ever heard of Totsuki?" Jouichirou asked, recomposing himself as he let his arm rest on the top of the couch.

"Uhh, that's that rich culinary school right?" she asked, clearly more focused on her dish, as she should be.

"Yeah, I used to go there" Akari let out a silent "Ohhh", realizing that's why his cooking was far more advanced than she had expected.

"They had these cooking competitions where you basically make a wager. Whoever makes the better dish wins said wager. It was used a lot to solve disputes or disagreements" he continued, rubbing his chin trying to make sure he explained it correctly. Akari raised her eyebrow and looked off to the corner of her eye.

"And? What exactly does that have to do with me?" A smile grew on Jouichirou's face as he jumped up off the couch. He stood tall with pride and pointed at her. Akari raised one eyebrow again and stared back at his overconfident expression and glared, irritation and annoyance slowly rising up.

"If I win, you have to forget about the bill and I can walk free!" Jouichirou shouted with pure confidence and bravado.

"No" Jouichirou nearly fell over from her blank response and rubbed the back of his head.

"But wait! If you win, I have to stay another week! How does that sound as a deal?" Jouichirou continued, holding his hands up as if he was asking for a chance. Inside, Jouichirou was convinced that he had convinced her to go along with the shokugeki. Akari remained silent for a moment then looked up before locking her eyes onto Jouichirou.

"No" she blankly stated before whirling around and went back to work. The deflated Jouichirou just stared at her back, utterly speechless.

"What the hell? Come on, Aki-chan!" he shouted, irritating the white-haired woman.

"Stop calling me that!" she shouted back as she continued to grill the piece of chicken on the frying pan, tempted to swing the frying pan itself at the nagging red-head.

"Pleaaaasssssseeeee! You gotta at least give me a shot!" The air got cold as she whirled around. Jouichirou flinched at the sudden piercing gaze that Akira was shooting at him. There wasn't a trace of annoyance, irritation, or anger in her eyes. They were cold with a purpose; they asserted dominance in a way that Jouichirou had never felt before.

"There's no point. You'd lose, instantly" she shot back. Jouichirou's eyes widened in shock, caught off guard by her sudden declaration. No one had ever said such powerful and confident words to him, of all people. She raised her hand and pointed at Jouichirou, confusing him even more.

"You're a broken chef. You're being weighed down, and I would never waste my time with a chef like that. It doesn't matter how scholarly your school is, it seems all they know how to do is teach you the technique. But you're missing one key ingredient. Rather, you're forgetting it" Jouichirou flinched as each word slammed into him with such power. Did she know? How did she know? When could she have found out?

Suddenly, Akari slid a dish across the counter to Jouichirou, catching him off guard. He stared down at the crepe that sparkled like a thousand stars, next to the two gallets, which was then surrounded by a red sauce. The fragrance alone was a siren, alluring him and pulling him in deeper and deeper.

"But if you really insist, fine. Here's my dish" she said confidently as she took off her apron and let her hair down. Jouichirou's trance then shifted over to Akari as he found himself hypnotized by her beauty. Her silky white hair which fell just below her porcelain shoulders, her light but noticeable beauty mark under and off to the side of her azure eyes. He had joked around with her and commented on her attractiveness, but for the first time, Jouichirou found himself unable to take his eyes off the goddess before him.

"What are you looking at me?!" she shouted, punching Jouichirou upside the head, not too hard but enough to push him out of his trance.

"You begged for a Shokugeki and you won't even try my dish?" she pouted, her face ridden with a bright red color out of embarrassment from his ogling as well as annoyance.

"R-right…" he responded. He grabbed the fork and knife and cut open the crepe, only to be taken to an entirely new world as the full force of it's smell rushed at him, revealing the crepe's true form in the process.

"What kind of dish is this-" he asked, completely baffled by the chunks of meat, cheese, and sauce that filled the dish.

"It's Yukihira's Secret Recipe: Hachis Parmentier! A recipe I created when I was younger and my family decided to make it one of our specialties" she said proudly. She took another fork and cut off a piece of the crepe and ate it. She nodded in approval, but there was also distinct dissatisfaction with the dish.

"Darn, I kept it on the frying pan for too long" she said with a pout, followed by a shrug as Jouichirou's stared in amazement and awe. Akari noticed his stare and tilted her head, looking back at him in confusion.

"Is something wrong? You wanted a dish, there you go. Let's see if you can figure out everything in the dish!" she said, excitedly as her eyes gleamed with anticipation. Jouichirou was caught off guard by her sudden burst of enthusiasm. He nodded it off and cut off a piece of the crepe and took a bite.

* * *

Jouichirou was instantly teleported to the storm that has been tormenting him for years. Tornados, hurricanes, tycoons, earthquakes…everything was there, ready to take the chef's life in an instant. Jouichirou tried to turn and run away, but couldn't. His petrified left leg was a burden as he fell to the ground, yelping in pain as his body crashed against the rough terrain. He turned on his back and watched as the storms inch closer, waiting for their next meal.

It was futile.

For year's he'd been trying to escape this hellish realm. But there was no escape.

Without knowing, he made sure there was no escape.

Jouichirou let out a soft sigh and laid down on the cold ground as the storms intensified, thundering and crashing against each other rhythmically, as if they were laughing at him; mocking him. Reprimanding him for thinking he could ever best them alone. Closing his eyes, Jouichirou has accepted his demise. All he could hope for was the storm to end him quickly.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Everything had quieted down. The storms began to quiet down. Jouichirou began to wonder if it his time had finally come. But suddenly, he winced as a bright light shone down on his eyes. Jouichirou struggled to get up but when he did, he shielded his eyes and opened them. Was it the ever-so famous light that people saw moments before death?

No.

Jouichirou watched, utterly and completely baffled, as a figure emerged from behind the storm. As the figure made her way through, the storms began to split apart, making way for the figure as if it was some higher being. In the next moment, the figured raised an arm and crossed it against their chest. Then, they swung it out to their side and in that moment, the chaotic storms abruptly dissipated as the shining sun shined it's rays upon Jouichirou. The grey skies transformed into a beautiful azure color as the figure made it's way closer, now close enough for Jouichirou to realize it was a woman. Jouichirou watched in shock as the realization smacked him in the face. The white hair, the azure eyes that outshined the brilliant sky, the super-model-esque figure that didn't match a diner chef.

It was Akari. She was in a beautiful white flowing dress and a beige sunhat. Her smile was brilliant, her teeth sparking like shining stars as she approached the crippled man. It was as if an angel had descended down from the heavens, atoning for his sins and saving Jouichirou from his torture chamber. He looked up at her beautiful face as she stood before him. She had a confused expression on her face which then transformed back into a smile. She bent over, one hand on her knees and one arm extended outwards.

"Need some help?" she said softly, casually. For years, Jouichirou had battled against this storm, cowering as it overpowered him and triumphed over every advancement he had made. But here she was, able to make it bow before with a simple hand gesture.

Thought hesitant, Jouichirou reached his hand out and took hers. Her hand was soft and loving. The warmth wafted through her hand into his shivering body, filling him with more than just heat. It was loving, caring, hopeful.

It was comforting.

* * *

Jouichirou opened his eyes only to see Akari's face inches away from his, leaning over the counter. She was blushing, trying to avoid eye contact as she rested her hand on Jouichirou's forehead.

"Y-you weren't responding and you look like you passed out, so I wanted to make sure you w-weren't sick or s-something…" she stuttered, clearly flustered and embarrassed. She retracted her hand and returned behind the counter, hands intertwined behind her. Jouichirou looked back at the dish and then back to Akari.

"You made the outer crust out of mashed potatoes and crepe batter and stuffed it with a tenderloin steak and cheese. This sauce it's…bordelaise sauce?" Jouichirou questioned, surprised by her knowledge of French cuisine.

"Mhm, you're not that bad! Try to gallets too, though" she said with a giggle. Jouichirou blushed a little at first from her giggle, then shook it off and took a bite out of the gallet, only to be taken aback even further than before. It was crispy and obviously was made out of shredded potato, but it had a very aquatic flavor to it as well.

"I used semi-dried sardines" she said triumphantly, surprising Jouichirou.

"I was kinda messing around with some stuff and found out that the combination of the melted cheese, potatoes, and butter actually meshed well with he slight crunch of the sardines. It's the only reason that making the dish took longer than expected" she laughed nervously.

"Wait, you made thought of this as you were cooking?" he asked, confused and in shock. However, Akari had a straight face, as if what she had done was normal.

"Well, yeah. I had a lot of potatoes left over and I didn't want to waste it or let it spoil so I figured I'd just make use of them now in someway"

"But…what if it went wrong? What if it didn't work out? How did you possibly know that it would work?" Jouichirou couldn't comprehend it. He had never heard of such intuition and recklessness.

"I mean, if it didn't work it, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. It's not like it'll be the end of the world, you know? I had no clue if it'd work or not but that doesn't really change anything. Besides…" she started, shocking Jouichirou with the words she was about to utter.

"The journey's no fun if you know where you're going" Words escaped Jouichirou's mind as his thoughts failed to connect. But soon, a smile appeared on his face as he let out a soft chuckle.

' _Of course…'_

It's not that Jouichirou had never heard of such ideals. He had _forgotten_ those ideals. _His ideals._

"I don't know what happened to you…" Akari started, catching Jouichirou's attention. "Whatever happened, it seems like cooking doesn't give you the same feeling that it used to" she continued. Jouichirou searched her gaze for answers, unsure of where she was going with it.

"Why do you cook, Akari-chan?" Jouichirou asked. Akari looked up at the ceiling, trying to think of an answer. Jouichirou shook his head after seeing how long it took Akari to answer back. He was being too hopeful, thinking that a stranger would have the answer that he's been looking for. But then…

"It's just what I love doing. And when someone eats my dishes and get this huge smile on their face as a result, I don't know. It's just really satisfying. Customer comes first, I guess you could say" she said, laughing and with a small blush. Jouichirou just stared, but then smiled and burst into a laughing fit.

"Huh? What's so funny?" Akari asked, wondering if he was mocking her. Jouichirou shook his head and looked up, a wide grin spread across his face.

"No, it's nothing. You win. I wouldn't be able to beat this, no matter how hard I try" he said. Akari at first was caught off guard. He seemed so confident at first, as if he already knew he was going to win. But here he is, admitting defeat without even a second thought. But it wasn't out of fear…in fact, the smile on his face was the widest smile that she had seen on his face. It was so radiant, she couldn't help but smile back.

"Jouichirou-kun, right? You're a funny guy, you know that" she said, taking another bite of her dish.

"What, you like or something?" he asked coyly, making Akari nearly choke on her food.

* * *

"Wait…that dish-" started Soma, finally drawing the conclusion.

"Yup. It's the same dish you, Erina-chan, and I made together during your training. To think you guys would have perfectly replicated the dish was surprising, but I was hoping for it" Soma's father laughed, ruffling Soma's hair. Unusually, Soma wasn't bothered by it. His focus remained on his smiling father.

"So Mom…she was an even better cook than you?" Soma asked in disbelief. He had always thought his father was the best between the two, but here he was saying that he couldn't even find it in him to compete against his mother.

"Yup. I'd challenge her every week. I was on a five-hundred and fifty-four losing streak" he said proudly, surprising Soma so much that he fell off his chair. Of course, his father didn't pay him and mind.

"Five-hundred and fifty-four?! That's how many times you lost to mom?!" Jouichirou nodded proudly without shame, even further bewildering his already astonished son.

"How did you even get to challenge her that many times? Didn't you only have to stay a week?" Jouichirou leaned back and stretched, letting out a yawn followed by a soft chuckle.

* * *

Akari let out a yawn as she gentle stroked her hair with a comb. Once she was satisfied with it's appearance, she looked at herself in the full-body mirror and let out a sigh. She couldn't really understand it, but she slowly became more and more conscious of how she looked. She always wanted to make sure she looked her best, or how she would put it, "at least put in a little more effort than usual". Though Akari refused to admit it, she did in fact know why. It was all for the red-head that has been working with her for the past two weeks. A frown formed on her face as the realization that he wouldn't be downstairs today. It was well past the amount of time he actually needed to work with her. She said that she wouldn't add the extra week, but he insisted since he technically lost the Shokugeki. Akari shook her head, trying to shake the thought of the charming crimson prince out of her head. A intense blush formed on her cheeks, much to her annoyance. She let out a deep sigh and made her way to the staircase leading down to the restaurant. What caught her by surprise was the rowdiness, loud clattering and chatting that increased in volume as she made her way down. Her heart began to race as the fear that she's been trying to keep hidden deep down came back.

" _Are they back?! Already?!"_ she thought as she raced down the stairs and swung the door open. The sudden mouthwatering scent of a variety of breakfast dishes hit her all at once as she looked around the diner. She had never seen so many people in her diner all at once, even for the typical morning rush. For once, it was fully packed and there was a waiting line that was halfway across the restaurant. But to even further astonish her, the line moving along at an incredibly fast pace; faster than she had ever been able to. But who could be responsible for this? Akari whirled around as she felt a tap on her shoulder; it was a fairly young man, barely in his early 20s. He had short brown hair and glasses. He had a somewhat weak frame but his face was shining brilliant with a huge smile. It was a young Yuya Tomita!

"Yukihira-san! You finally found someone close to your level of cooking, I'm so happy for you! Now that you have a helping hand, your restaurant just might get the recognition it deserves!" he shouted. Akari smiled, still confused but trying to play it off.

"Y-yeah, that chef sure…sure is a keeper! Please, Tomita-kun, give me one moment" she said as she hurried back to the counter and slid behind it. Her face lit up in shock to see the red-head tossing a scrambled egg around the frying pan, hair tied back into a small pony tail. He had a bright smile on his face as he turned over to Akari, his smile widening.

"It's about time you woke up, I've been running this ship all alone!" he shouted happily, ignoring the fuming Akari.

"What the hell do you mean by that?! I don't even open this early!" she shouted angrily, putting on her apron and getting to work on the next order. She couldn't help but notice that Jouichirou was already preparing the next five or six orders. However, that quickly went to the back of her mind as she started cutting green peppers.

"What are you still doing here?! I thought we made a deal!" she asked. She couldn't understand why she was acting like this. A part of her was happy that he was here, but a part of her was annoyed due to her distaste for unexpected surprises and his cocky attitude.

"Well, I decided that I kinda like it here and I'm still flat broke so I might as well give myself a job here" he laughed.

"You can't just waltz in and just give yourself a job!" she shouted into his ear, still cutting the peppers at a dangerously fast pace. Jouichirou simply laughed and moved over to the next dish while he let the previous dish continue to cook.

"Well, if that's the case, how about another Shokugeki, yeah? Same stakes" he laughed. Akari couldn't figure him out. He knew that he would lose. She knew that he would. So why was he so bent on this?

"You're the first person in a long time that's actually beaten me in a Shokugeki. And it was exhilarating. I refuse to leave until I actually beat you" he continued, though deep inside he knew he wouldn't leave even if he won. Akari just let out a sigh and cracked an egg open, poured it into a bowl along with the green peppers.

"You've been doing dishes the past two weeks. You don't even know the regular orders or how to prepare them…" She turned to face him, but watched in awe as his eyes remained glued to the current dish, a wide smile on his face. Unlike last time, he truly was enjoying himself. Or at least, on the road to recovery.

"I've been watching you for the past two weeks and the customers. I know all I need"

* * *

"Wow…" was all Soma could respond with. His father shined with confidence.

"Yup, your old man is a pretty good smooth talker, am I right?"

"No, you're like a stalker. You're so creepy" Soma said flatly, angering his father as he choked out of surprise. Before he could say anything, Soma already had another question.

"Wait, so what happened when you finally won against mom?" Soma asked.

"Well, after a few weeks we stopped wagering whether I left or not. And then after a few more weeks, we started dating. The shokugeki that finally ended my winning streak…" started Jouichirou as he raised a finger and pointed to Soma.

"Was when we were deciding what your name would be" Jouichirou said with a smile. Soma looked down and smiled, happiness and love bubbling inside of him.

"Look wise, you're definitely my kid. But as a person. Your tenacity, your drive, your passion, your desire to better yourself and make others smile. Though some could say it's a mix of us, I think you take more after your mom, kiddo" he said, finally finishing his drink. Soma was smiling like a giddy school girl, but he didn't care. Hearing this story, it just made him so happy.

"I'm glad you two met. You guys seemed perfect for each other" Soma finally said. Jouichirou just laughed as he got up.

"Yeah, I'm glad I met her too. She's an amazing woman" he said, finally stretching. Then, he pulled out a pair of keys that Soma couldn't recognize.

"Welp, I know I said that you'd only get your gift if you won the shokugeki, but I was planning on giving you this for your birthday anyway" Jouichirou said while walking towards the exit, motioning Soma to follow.

"What? What's that for?" Soma asked, confused as he followed behind his father.

"Remember when I went to pick something up before dropping Erina-chan off? Well, I figured it was about time you grew out of that stupid little moped of yours. You have to ride in more style if you plan on being _my_ kid" he laughed as he opened the door, revealing a brand new street bike. It was a matte glossy black color with red accents with the word "Kawasaki" near the bottom. Soma couldn't believe his eyes.

"What the hell, Dad?! A Kawasaki Ninja?! Isn't that like, fifty-thousand yen or something?!" he shouted, unable to comprehend what was before his eyes.

"Yeah, so?" Jouichirou responded blankly, unsure of the point his son was trying to get across. The offset Soma just couldn't comprehend his father's laxness, a care-free attitude that was even greater than his own. Then, he felt his father's hand crash against his back, but not hard enough to make him nudge.

"I'm proud of ya, kid. You deserve it. That's all there is to it" Jouichirou said. Soma looked back at him and was returned by his father's proud and loving gaze. Soma closed his eyes and smiled brightly, making Jouichirou smile back even harder.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go take it for a spin!" Jouichirou encouraged, tossing the key to Soma. He earnestly caught it and jumped onto the bike. Turning the ignition key, the bike roared to life in an instant. Soma put the helmet on and secured himself on the bike and revved up the engine. In the next instant, he took off, racing down the road. Jouichirou let out a sigh and watched as his son disappeared.

"Not that fast, you moron" he laughed before looking up at the sunset, a beautiful clash of orange and red that colored the sky.

" _He really going to be even better than us, isn't he, Akari?"_

* * *

Soma.

Erina couldn't help it. It frustrated her to no end that "Soma" was the only thought that kept coming back no matter how many time she tried to push it back out. It was infuriating how even now, that boy was halting her from making any progress with _anything._ Whether it was reading her Shoujo manga, finishing up the preparation of new admissions exams, or even just trying to relax with the other girls. Nothing could fully distract her from the red-head that she had grown attached to, much to her dismay. Erina let out a frustrated sigh and began to click her pen repeatedly as she held her head up with her hand. It had been slightly over a week since she had last seen him and visited his prized restaurant. Though she would never admit it, she was indeed impressed by the tiny diner. Not only that, she couldn't help but feel a closer bond with Soma after aiding him with his crisis. Her lips curled into a smile as she began to reminisce. Though it pained her to see Soma like that, a surge of happiness rose to surface due to the fact that she was finally able to give back. Nothing disturbed her more than being in debt to someone, but surprisingly that wasn't the main driving force for her urge to help. Before she could think even more about it, the bell rang and the few students that chose to participate in extra courses flocked to the exit door. Erina let out a sigh and gathered her material and made her way through. Almost instinctively, the bundle of students that fought ferociously to make their way out ended their quarreling and split, making way for the Queen herself. As she made her way down the hall, she couldn't help but notice a small crowd forming around the parking lot. At first it was one or two girls, but that soon turned into maybe ten people, majority of them being females. Freshman, too.

Erina's headmistress instincts kicked in and found the urge to investigate. As she exited the building and made her way over to the crowd, the echoes of an engine reverberated through the air. Erina's eyes narrowed as he face scrunched into in unamused expression.

" _Just who the hell is parking such a disruptive vehicle in m-"_ thought Erina before her eyes widened before the shining black and red motorcycle What really caught her off guard was when the motorcyclist took of his helmet, releasing his luscious red locks from their constraint and flowed freely as the breeze gently tousled his hair. Erina was well aware of what was happening to her. Her heartbeat was racing, practically thumping out of her chest. Time had frozen as her eyes remained locked onto Soma's seductive eyes as he casually smirked at her. If only he knew, if only he was aware of what that smile did to the blonde.

"Oh, hey Erina. What's up, just got out of class?" Soma asked casually as he leaned onto the sports bike. It was a combination of Soma's cheekiness, his casualness, but also the way he softly spoke to her and said her name. It all had Erina's heart running a marathon, circling around wildly within her. She snapped out of his trance when she began to take notice of the other students looking directly at her and whispering among each other. It suddenly hit her. Erina's face throbbed a vibrant red as she smacked Soma upside the head, catching him off guard.

"Ow?! What the hell was that for?!" he shouted, rubbing the back of his head.

"You will refer to me as Erina-sama, fool!" she shouted, stumbling over he words.

"What?! But I thought we ag-" Soma tried to sputter out before getting hit again. Erina swirled around and glared at the students around her, who immediately froze up in fear.

"What are you all circling around here for? You students have into classes to attend to, do you not? Don't dilly dally thinking that you can't be expelled the very same day you were admitted!" Erina spoke with authority, making the freshman cower in fear and scramble away. She let out a deep sigh and swirled around to Soma, who was holding his head up with his hands and just smiling at Erina. Erina blushed once again, flustered by his irresistible smile.

"W-what are you smiling for?!"

"You're embarrassed, aren't ya? That's cute" Soma said sarcastically, making Erina blush even more. She simply scoffed and pointed her nose away.

"What the hell are you doing here with _that_ anyway? That model isn't even released yet, and I doubt you have the money to buy such a thing" Soma's face lit up in surprise.

"You know about motorcycles, Erina?!" A lesser blush crawled up on Erina's face as she scanned his bike. She would never admit it, but it truly was a gorgeous vehicle.

"In a way. Grandfather insists that I learn how to drive, but honestly I don't see the point if I could just have someone drive for me. He asked me if I wanted such a bike like this and I told him no due to the simple fact that it'd be a waste of time and money. A car is much more effective, all things considered" Erina responded back in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it was an obvious conclusion.

"What do you mean? It's a whole different feeling when you're behind the wheel! Especially when the wind is in your hair!" Soma argued back, astonished by just how lowly Erina thought of driving, let alone driving a motorcycle. Before Erina could respond, Soma had already picked her up and situated her on the seat.

"Wha-?!" she started before Soma hopped on in front of her and handed the helmet behind him.

"Put this on" Soma laughed as he revved up the engine. The sudden roar of the engine startled Erina, making her squeal and instinctively grab onto Soma.

"W-wait! I don't want to!" she shouted, still too frightened to get off the already revved up vehicle.

"Either put on the helmet or drop it, Erina" Soma laughed as he started moving, though slowly. This was more than enough to convince the frightened Erina. She frantically put the helmet on, cursing Soma under her breath. Despite her foul language, Soma just laughed it off. She raised the visor and pouted.

"Okay…the helmet is o-NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!" she squealed as Soma took off. Erina wrapped her arms around Soma and buried her face into his chest. Surely it was illegal to go this fast in such a short amount of time. Who the hell would trust such a powerful vehicle with this dunce? Too afraid to do anything else, she buried her face into Soma's back. It was strong and broad…it also smelled nice.

" _What…what is this…"_ she questioned.

"You know…" Soma started, startling Erina. Did she say that out loud? Erina slowly began to panic, trying to form a plan to fix whatever went down in the next few seconds.

"I brought you so you could feel the excitement! Don't just hold onto me with dear life. Besides, you're kinda suffocating me" he laughed. Erina loosened her grip on Soma but still get a tight lock onto him. She moved back a bit and was left in awe. The wind blasting against her face, tossing her hair around even inside the helmet. Even with the little access, she felt exhilarated. The wind crashing against their body body as they zoomed past the scenery at obviously dangerous speeds, but that thought hadn't crossed Erina's mind yet. The beautiful greenery that they were racing past, the crystal clear sky. None of it mattered. All she could focus on was the red-head in front of her, who was smiling gleefully.

" _What…what is he doing to me…"_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"And who exactly are you?" Soma stood sternly before the newly recruited professor, who had nothing short of a mischievous smirk sprawled across his face. Megumi worriedly watched, anxiety rising as she cowered in the corner from the growing tension that weighed upon the two chefs.

" _Why…Why does Suzuki-senpai want to have a shokugeki with Soma?! Why does he wants his knife?!"_ she thought as she held the out-cold Erina in her lap. Just moments ago, Erina had walked into the most cliché scene in a Shojou manga; the two love interests fighting over her, claiming her as their own. It was all too much for the blonde to handle before the collapsed before them. Ironically, neither Soma or Suzuki had batted an eye as Megumi rushed over to catch Erina. They were too preoccupied with their deadlock, trying to unnerve the other one. Erina slowly began to regain consciousness and watched the two before her, along with Megumi.

"If I win, how about you tell me what your hiding behind that pretty little face of yours?" Soma said sarcastically, yanking the loose end of the headband and releasing his wrist from it, wrapping the headband around his head. He turned around and opened up the his box that was filled with knives and other kitchenware.

"Fine by me. But if I win…" started Asahi, pointing towards the open tool box that contained all of Soma's cooking gear.

"I get that knife of yours" he finished confidently. The air got cold as Soma slowly turned around, his eyes piercing. From his golden eyes was a silent rage that shook Megumi to the core and snapped Erina out of her haze. They had never felt such an intensity from Soma. Despite his boiling glare, there was a coldness that came from him that could freeze over the sun itself.

"Excuse me?" Soma finally responded, his voice steady and low, yet each word had a scalding vigor to it. Suzuki stood unphased, smiling away as he held his own knife in hand. Soma's narrowed eyes soon opened up as he focused on the knife. For some reason, he recognized that knife. The fine craftsmanship, the polished blade, the perfectly sharpened edge. But besides its appearance, there was a sense of nostalgia that overcame Soma as he observed the knife.

"Ahh, you've awoken my beautiful bride" Asahi said as he gazed over to the awoken blonde, making Erina blush and leaving her angrily flustered.

"Can you stop calling me that?!" she shouted out of embarrassment.

"Yeah, back off buddy. Erina's mine, got that?!" Soma shouted, flustering Erina even more and even causing a tinge of red to appear on Megumi's face from his sudden outburst.

"You too! Stop saying that, you idiot!" Erina shouted, slapping Soma's arm. He looked back defensively, unsure of what he said wrong.

"What?! There's no way I'm letting this random guy satisfy your tongue before me!" he shouted, followed by another slap from Erina on his arm, this time even harder.

"S-stop saying it l-like that you i-idiot!" she shouted, closing her eyes and hiding her face out of embarrassment.

"Do we have a deal? Fair trade, yeah?" Asahi asked, breaking the silence and tension that filled the room. Soma's eyes diverted from the knife, back to the confident curly-haired professor. Soma took in a deep breath and smiled. The air began to flow more freely as the rambunctious, jolly, happy-go-lucky Soma returned to form.

"You have a deal, Suzuki-senpai" Soma spat back with cockiness, making sure to add a stretch when he said "senpai". Asahi laughed and turned around, walking towards his cooking space. With that, the two initiated in their dance across their respective cooking area. Cutting up vegetables at ridiculous speeds, meticulously placing each ingredient and keeping check on every second that passed by. It truly was a sight to behold. Seeing how much Soma had improved over the few months that have passed since the overthrowing of Azami was unfathomable. For whatever reason, he advanced at an pace that no one could ever replicate, no matter how hard they tried. But what shocked the timid bluenette and the blonde was just how closely Asahi was able to keep up with Soma, almost even outpacing Soma. But that couldn't be possible, right?

This wasn't the first time Erina was part of an unofficial shokugeki, let alone a shokugeki period. Of course, it wasn't. She knew there was no room for bias. Whoever had the best dish was deemed the winner and that's the end of it. She watched as the lit fire within Soma's determined gaze shined brightly as he focused on his cooking. However, Erina couldn't shake the feeling that Soma wasn't fighting just to win. There was something else within his golden gaze, some other intention that Erina couldn't make out. Despite this, only one thought echoed within her mind.

" _Please Soma…win this…"_

* * *

It had been an entire week since Soma's defeat to the hands of Asahi Suzuki. Despite the amount of time, it was still a hard pill to swallow. The rumors began to spread within a few days and soon, it was all printed out in the Totsuki Newspaper headlines. No matter how hard the Elite 10 tried to suppress the results of the unofficial shokugeki, they could never seal the students even if they had wanted to. Every member of the Elite 10 and the Polar Star Dormitory had tried to help Soma, from trying to comfort him with kind and encouraging words to challenging him to shokugekis to get his mind off his utter defeat. However, Soma barely batted an eye as his focus remained fixated on one thing and one thing only. A rematch with Asahi. Of course, Asahi was too busy to try and swoon Erina to even bother giving Soma the time of day. That is, of course, until…

"Wait, so that's why Soma's been following you around?!" Yoshino exclaimed, trying her hardest to contain her laughter. Erina let out a sigh and rubbed her temples as Ryoko and Megumi giggled. They were sitting in Yoshino's room in their pajamas, having a slumber party. Erina reluctantly joined, only due to the fact she had never participated in an actual sleepover. If she had known that it would end up leading to her having to explain everything that's been going on between Asahi, Soma, and herself, she would have refrained from the activity. However, she couldn't dismiss the fact that it did help get some stress off her chest, being able to vocalize her rather difficult situation.

"I mean, it's not different than any other normal day, no? Soma's always trying to get your approval on your dishes after all, what's so bad about it now?" Ryoko asked. Megumi laughed nervously while Erina fumed and boiled over in anger.

"Well you see, he's been…well, even more enthusiastic about the challenge than usual" Megumi explained hesitantly, trying her hardest to describe Soma with the kindest words possible. However, Erina didn't share the same sentiment.

"That waste of oxygen won't leave me alone! He comes into my office at the most inconvenient times, as if he plans it, and then tosses at least ten different dishes at me! Like, what the hell is wrong with that lunatic?!" Erina shouted as she stretched and pulled the pillow, nearly tearing it in half.

"Ohhh, so you have no problem when Suzuki-senpai barges in?" Yoshino teased with a smirk, making the blonde blush and enter a defensive mode.

"W-what?! That's not what I'm saying at all!" Erina shouted, waving her hands frantically.

"Are you saying that you don't think Suzuki-senpai is attractive and charming?" Ryoko asked, genuinely interested in Erina's opinion, contrary to Yoshino who just wanted some romance drama to spice up her life.

"T-that's not it either…" Erina muttered, clutching the pillow close to her chest. "I mean…it's like…yeah he's convinced me to sit down and have tea with him a couple of times…and we do occasionally have enjoyable little talks…he's very down-to-earth and witty…" Erina said, just barely understandable due to the fact that she was holding the pillow so close to herself, slightly muffling her.

"But…?" Megumi asked, knowing Erina wasn't done. Erina sighed and slowly moved the pillow away from her, just enough to sound more audible and less muffled.

"But…I don't know…He's just not my type, he doesn't make me feel the way the girls in our Shoujo mangas feel towards the guy they like…" Erina said, struggling to form her thoughts into words.

"Not your type?! What's your type, Erina-cchi?!" Yoshino asked enthusiastically. Erina's face lit up the room with her redness as she clutched the pillow even tighter.

"Wha-what?! I don't know! Why are you asking me so many questions?! What about…what about Tadokoro-san!" she shouted, quickly averting the focus to the now blushing blue-haired teen.

"U-uh…I'm not sure…" Megumi stuttered, too embarrassed to collect her thoughts.

"Do you two really not have a specific type?" Ryoko asked, surprised by the two tomato-faced girls next to and across from her.

"W-well…" Erina started thinking long and hard. Love was always a subject that seemed too…risqué to ever really think about. She never had time for friends as it was, so relationships were way out of the question. The only person that could even resemble a first love was Jouichirou Saiba, but even that was out of admiration rather than love.

"I guess…" Erina started, holding her pillow close to her chest. "I guess my ideal man would be…someone who's dedicated to his craft…preferably cooking. Someone who never stops charging ahead, making sure their goal is accomplished and ready to set a new goal right after. Maybe someone who's a bit on the wild side…someone who keeps life interesting and thrilling, but still wonderful. And…someone who's always able to go above and beyond my expectations…someone who never settles for the minimum and always goes past their limits not only for me but for themselves…I'd have a lot of respect for someone like that" Erina said, slowly burying her blushing face into the pillow, embarrassed that she was even thinking about such a thing. "I guess…I guess I wouldn't mind dating someone like that…I'd really like it a lot, actually" Erina said, barely able to contain her smile.

" _That…"_ thought Yoshino, taken aback by her description.

"… _Sounds a lot like…"_ thought Ryoko, slowly putting the pieces together along with the other two girls.

" _Soma-kun…"_ thought Megumi, eyes widened by Erina's indirect confession. Megumi could hardly believe it. Erina had a crush on Soma! Did anyone else know? Did _she_ even know? Millions of thoughts began to race through her head. She looked over to Yoshino and Ryoko, who were looking right back at her.

They knew. They all did.

"H-hey…" Yoshino started before Ryoko interrupted.

"You really do have a passion for cooking, don't you?" she laughed, trying to change the subject as she picked up an envelope. "Hey, you guys saw the location for our Second Year's First Quarter Finals, right? I don't think Soma has seen it yet" Ryoko added on, waving the envelope back and forth.

"Are you serious? That moron was the one who distributed to all of you, and he didn't even give himself one, let alone look at it?! That absolute…ugh! Here, I'll show it to him" Erina sighed out of aggravation as she grabbed the envelope and stormed out the door.

"Why'd you stop me from asking about it?!" Yoshino asked, pouting.

"Listen, I know you want something interesting to happen, but we shouldn't interfere with this" Ryoko sincerely said, heaving out a sigh of relief.

"She's right, Yoshino-chan. We shouldn't intervene if Erina-san herself is unsure of how she feels. She may have described Soma in every way, but she didn't seem to realize she was describing him. We should hold off on talking about it until she herself confirms it" Megumi explained, making Yoshino groan.

"Ughhh, fineee. But who would have thought…Erina-cchi and Yukihira-kun. I wonder how Soma feels about her?" Yoshino wondered, tapping her chin. Ryoko laughed and let out a disappointed sigh, shrugging and combing her newly cut hair.

"Knowing him, he probably doesn't have the faintest idea. And as for if he has feelings…I don't know, I never really thought about it. He hasn't really shown any particular interest in girls, has he?" Ryoko asked. Moments later, her hair combing slowed down as she and Yoshino both came to realization. Megumi looked at them confusingly, wondering what they could have possibly come up with.

"You don't think that he…" started Ryoko.

"You think he might be into guys?! He does hang around Kurokiba-san and Hayama-san a lot!" Yoshino continued, excitement in her voice. Megumi's face exploded into a crimson color as she covered her face, trying to hide her embarrassment and awkwardness towards the topic.

* * *

The very loud and rapid pounding made it very clear who was knocking on Soma Yukihira's door.

"You can come in, Erina" Soma shouted, keeping his focus on the dish at hand. Erina burst through the door, slamming the door against the wall. In her hand was the envelope that contained the details for their first quarter finals, which she ironically had crumpled up due to just how tightly she had her hands balled into a fist. Despite Erina's rambunctious entrance, Soma didn't even bat an eye, completely ignoring her presence, which only further struck Erina's nerves.

"What's up, Erina? You guys finished up your slumber party? Don't worry, I'm working on a new dish right now!" Soma said excitedly as he beat the combination of flour, baking soda, sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla.

"I don't _need_ anymore of your dishes, Soma! I've had just enough of them from lunch alone. And _no,_ I didn't care for any one of them. Did you check the final exam details I gave you?! You know, you're a second year too!" Erina shouted, trying to sound as intimidating as possible. Soma, however, remained fixated on the cake he was working on.

"Aww, damn that sucks. Also, I'm pretty sure I looked at it for a little bit. We're going to the carnival, right?" Erina let out a defeated groan as she slumped onto his bed. Erina knew there was no point in trying to scare Soma; he was just too stupid to actually care. That, or he knew Erina was just trying to sound tough. Of course, Erina refused to accept the latter, dismissing any chance to give the red-head any sort of credit.

"We're going to the beach. You really only have a one-track mind, don't you" Erina placed the envelope next to her and began to trace circles and other shapes onto the soft plush blanket that was neatly tucked and set on Soma's bed. Her eyes trailed from her slender fingers to Soma's back. He was wearing a black undershirt with the signature white Restaurant Yukihira symbol on the back. Soma stopped beating the batter and rested his palms on the table, supporting his body as he stared down at the bowl. Erina's eyes darted up to his strong, broad shoulders and blushed as she followed down his arm, memorizing every inch of them. Soon, Soma changed his stance once again. This time, he pulled his arms behind his head and latched onto the back of it, accentuating his biceps. The blonde couldn't help but fall under his unintentional spell as he continued to rack his brain, trying to figure out a way to add another spin to the cake dish.

" _I should stop looking…I have to but…why can't I stop?!"_ Erina thought, shaming herself for such perverted thoughts. She shut her eyes tight and turned to face the wall, mentally slapping herself for her abnormal behavior. Suddenly, a loud groan caught Erina's attention as she felt something heavy land beside her. She opened her eyes and faced Soma, who was face flat on the bed and sprawled out. Erina stared for a moment, unsure of what to say. Almost out of impulse, a giggle escaped her lips which soon transformed into a laughing fit. Soma glared at Erina, confused with her sudden outburst.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a pout. He pushed himself straight up and repositioned himself, sitting cross-legged next to the laughing Nakiri. Soma's pout soon turned into a smile as he watched the normally stone-cold princess emit a warm sensation. Soma never really understood where this feeling came from, but Erina's smile in particular was something he adored. Maybe it was because she rarely ever smiled. Ever since she had become headmaster though, she had started to smile much more. She started making more friends, especially with his fellow dormmates.

It made Soma ecstatic. Seeing Erina have fun, seeing her lead a much more active social life and living a much more normal teenage life. Well, as normal as a teenage headmaster of the number one culinary institution in the entire world could get.

Erina's laughing fit passed and was replaced by short giggles that'd burst out, failing to be restrained by Erina. She looked over to Soma, who was just smiling and raising an eyebrow at her, waiting for her finish.

"I'm sorry, it's just funny seeing how determined you are at making a dish just to please me" she laughed. Of course, someone trying to please Erina was not surprising. But no one has ever approached Erina more than once, let alone with the same tenacity as the redhead before her.

"Oh my, the great Queen Erina apologizing to me? I feel so honored" Soma said mockingly, winking at her. Erina rolled her eyes in response, but surprisingly, her smile didn't leave her face.

"Whatever, loser" she responded back, making Soma laugh.

"How's the sleepover going, anyway? What'd ya guys talk about?" Soma asked inquisitively, making Erina freeze in her tracks. How could she explain that she was talking about relationships and romance without looking sappy? She knew for sure that he'd never let her live it down.

"U-uh…well, we were talking about uh…Suzuki-san" Erina blurted out, trying to not give out too much information. She immediately regretted it as the air went cold, Soma's sitting beside her, motionless. Maybe it wasn't right of her to bring him up…

"Oh, that's it? I thought you guys would talk about like, romance and shoujo manga stuff" Soma said with a laugh, completely shifting the mood on it's head. Erina let out a sigh of relief and bit her bottom lip.

"Speaking of, he really does like you. Talking about making you his wife and stuff. He says some pretty crazy stuff, don't ya think?" Soma continued, scratching his chin. Though he did seem to think that situation was odd, his face showed an unusual but expected indifference towards it.

"Well of course! I haven't even had a boyfriend before and this random guy just comes up to me and proposes" Erina said, her tone shifting immediately to one of annoyance and exhaustion. After a moment of silence, she stiffened up once she came to realization of what she had just said.

"Really?! You've never had a boyfriend before?!" Soma exclaimed; face ridden with surprise. A blush formed on Erina's face as she crossed her arms and looked away.

"Yeah, and so what?! Is there a problem with that?!" she responded back, annoyed by Soma's tone. Soma laughed and shook his head, laying back down.

"Na, it's just I expected someone like you would have had at least one before, no? I mean, I'm sure you have guys chasing after you all the time, at least one of them should have been able to catch your eye" Soma explained has he rested his head on his hands.

"Are you calling me picky?!" she exclaimed back at Soma, offended by his comment. Soma just looked back at her with a blank expression.

"That's kind of an ironic question, Erina" he said blankly. Erina stared in shock but couldn't think of anything to comeback with. If you really dumbed it down, that _is_ what her God Tongue makes her.

"Hmph!" she said as she turned away again, refusing to meet Soma's gaze as he laughed.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. What I meant was, you're like…you're Erina! You're talented, smart, athletic, dedicated, you're especially hilarious!" he exclaimed. Erina twitched, realizing that all her insults towards him and her relentless onslaught to break him down was only seen as jokes in his eyes. Although she was glad that it didn't harm their current relationship, it did still bruise her ego that she wasn't taken seriously.

"And well…you're like…super pretty too. Especially when you smile" Erina's eyes opened wide. She was completely caught off guard by his last comment. She slowly turned to Soma, who was just staring at the ceiling and rubbing his cheek with his finger. His cheeks were blemished with a tinge of red, which on Soma's face, was loud and shouted out just how embarrassed he was. Erina's heart began to race, her blood pumping up to her face, her creamy white skin being splashed with maroon. She shifted her hair behind her ear, unsure of how to respond.

"Y-you really think so…?" she asked. For whatever reason, it was so hard to say something after Soma's sudden compliment. It's not the first time someone called her pretty. Of course not, she was Erina Nakiri. She may be talented in cooking and naturally gifted with her brains, but those traits were only rivaled by her breathtaking beauty.

"Well, yeah!" Soma exclaimed. Erina was taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm as his eyes sparkled with admiration and excitement.

"I mean, look at you! Who wouldn't think you're gorgeous?! Like, I'm don't usually pay attention to all that stuff but even I can't just ignore you" Soma laughed as his blush brightened. Erina knew he was embarrassed. She knew he was probably beating himself up for saying so much like she did. Erina smiled once more, her heart fluttering from Soma's kind words.

"What's gotten into everyone?! Now even you're using such ludicrous lines?!" she exclaimed in a flustered fury. Soma sat there in confusion at her sudden outburst until she calmed down.

"But…that's really kind of you…" she muttered, clutching her chest. Soma looked at her confusingly, unsure of what Erina had said. Out of instinct, she frantically began to fix her hair, running her hands through it and making sure her side bangs were perfectly aligned and neat.

"W-well, of course! I am of nobility after all, it only fits the part even more! I mean! There's nothing wrong if you're not super pretty…I mean, I'm no judge of what's pretty or not! It's all a matter of opinion after all" she sputtered with a false sense of confidence. Soma, however, didn't look too deep into it and smiled back as she continued her frantic rant. What truly caught him off guard, however, was her sudden slow down followed by her rather hesitant questioning.

"W-what about you? Have you had a girlfriend before…" Erina asked, staring at the floor and rubbing her arm. Soma was shocked to see her so nervous, so vulnerable, so innocent. So…

Cute.

"Uh, na not really. I never really paid attention to that kind of stuff. Dating and all that, never really thought it was for me. Well, I didn't think I was ready for love and all that stuff yet" he admitted with slight hesitation. Erina eyes were frozen onto Soma, all her attention on him as he let out a small smile and scratched the back of his head.

"But you know…my pops told me a couple of stories about him and mom…" Erina was completely caught off guard. Soma, on his own accord, was talking about his late mother. But among all…

He was smiling.

There was no trace of sadness in his eyes. Instead, eyes were filled with happiness, pride, tenderness, passion, and most confusing of all, hope.

"I just get really happy inside knowing how my mom really changed my dad's life. She made him happy again. She literally saved him! Plus, she's a badass, you know?! My mom was an even better chef than him!" he exclaimed.

"Really? Even more skilled than Saiba-san…is that even possible?" Erina muttered to herself, in utter disbelief. Her mind began to race, trying to figure out how someone could be so incredible. Her thoughts halted to a stop as Soma continued, announcing something that made her heart halt for a moment, then surge back to life.

"Hearing about them…it really makes me want to have what they had, you know? I want to meet someone who just…makes me happy and makes me want to improve everyday" he said with a shining eyes and confident smile. His smile was radiant and pure, full of love and emotion. He truly did want that experience, which was an odd desire for someone who is very well-renowned for his absolute focus on cooking. To think that Soma Yukihira of all people had a desire for romance was as expected as, ironically, peanut butter and squid. However, you could tell he was being serious. He expression was calm, and he had this almost determined expression on his face, as if he was going to make sure that he'd find this magical woman. Erina, on the other hand, was swirling around a pool of anxiety inside her body.

"Does…does that mean that you haven't met that person yet?" Erina didn't even think about it. The words had escaped her lips without any semblance of restraint.

" _What the hell kind of question is that?!"_ Erina thought, scolding herself for such an embarrassing question. She was half-expecting for Soma to just laugh at her. No, she _knew_ he was going to laugh at her. Who wouldn't?

Soma was dead silent. His eyes were locked onto the blonde next to him, only making her blush intensify every second he kept his gaze on her.

"I…I don't know. I feel like…" he started. His words caught Erina's attention and within moments, they're gazes were locked onto each other. They stared deep into each other, each looking for answers for their individual questions. Erina let out a soft giggle and looked away, leaving Soma confused and embarrassed.

"Honestly, you're such an idiot. Shouldn't you be focusing on trying to beat Suzuki-senpai" Erina laughed, annoying Soma. His annoyed expression was soon replaced by a burning fire as he shot up, holding a tight fist up.

"Of course, I'm gonna beat that punk! No way I'm letting him walk all over me, I just went easy on him, that's all! I'll show him that I'm the best chef around!" he exclaimed, more motivated than ever. Erina's eyes narrowed as she leaned towards Soma.

"Excuse me? You know I'm right he-"

"And I refuse to let him take you away" he said in a much more serious tone. Erina was totally caught off guard. Unlike before, there was no playfulness in his voice. There was true conviction, a straightforward and unshakable goal being set out before him. Her mouth was agape, unsure of how to respond or what to say as he walked away and turned the stove off. Turning around, his tough expression softened and revealed another smile.

" _Soma has one of the worst mood swings I've ever seen"_ Erina thought as she let out a sigh. Despite this, however, she was smiling right back at the redhead.

"Well, you better keep that promise. I don't want to see you whining again next time you lose" she said, getting up and pointing at him as if she was lecturing him. Soma threw a thumbs up and smiled even wider.

"Of course, gotta make sure my boss doesn't regret making me First Seat" he said with a slight tinge of sarcasm, annoying Erina.

"Exactly. Keep in mind I can take that position away if I really wanted to, peasant" Soma snickered and leaned in closer, making Erina form a face of disgust.

"Is that so? Why don't you then?" he responded back with a cocky attitude. Erina smiled seductively, enjoying the challenge that only Soma could offer.

"Are you asking me to? You sure are tip-toeing the line _servant_. It sure would be a shame if someone was to shove you aside and snatch that title from right under you" she said back softly and slowly, tapping his chest with her finger harder and harder after every word.

"Oh yeah? And who would be the one to shove me aside, huh?" Suddenly, Erina took her hands and, although gentle enough to not hurt him, pushed him back onto his bed.

"I would be, gla-DLY-" Erina shrieked in surprise as Soma grabbed ahold of her wrists and brought her down with him. They both toppled onto the bed, Soma laughing as Erina squeaked in fear. Once they had fallen, Soma let her wrists go and went into a laughing fit, enjoying seeing Erina's originally brave face change into one of fear and uncertainty. She slowly rose up and glared at the red-head. His smile soon turned into a nervous frown as his laugh wavered. He knew how to recognize a fuming Erina, and she was at her peak right now. But soon, her menacing wrath faded as she and Soma realized the position they were in. She looked down at the placement of her hands and slowly opened her mouth in utter embarrassment. Soma looked down as well and noticed not only her hands resting on his chests, but also her chest pressing up against him. She looked back at Soma who was staring back at her with the same nervousness in his eyes. Erina's face burst red as she realized just how compromising their position was.

" _Crap, crap, crap! She's gonna kill me…"_ thought Soma as he tried to avert his attention away from the two mounds adding pressure to his body.

" _Shit, he's going to think I'm some kind of…some kind of…hussy!"_ she thought as her mind and heart raced at the speed of light. Despite their thoughts, they're bodies refused to move. They were still, looking deep into each other's eyes. Soma could feel her heart pounding out of her chest. Or was it his own heart that was pounding so furiously?

A foreign feeling began to bubble within the two. They're breathing slowed down and got heavy as their faces burned with a feverish pitch. Lost in each other's eyes, Erina unconsciously began to lean in closer.

" _Maybe…this won't be so...bad…"_ she thought, unconsciously leaning in.

" _What's…happening…to me…"_ he thought, gulping out of anxiety and impatience and began to lean in forward as well. They were close, they could feel each other's breath. They're hearts were burning with passion as they were left physically numb from their restlessness. Time was going by agonizingly slow as they inched closer and just as their lips were about to meet…

 _Ring! Ring! Ring!_

The two were snapped out of their trance and stared at each other, just barely centimeters away from each other. They were in a frozen state, both too unsure and confused to move. In sync with the last ring of Soma's phone, Erina immediately shot back onto her feet and backed up against the wall. She crossed her arms against her chest, blushing furiously as she looked down to the ground, breathing heavily and fearfully.

" _WHAT THE FUCK WAS I DOING?! WHY DID I MOVE IN SO CLOSE?! WAS I REALLY TRYING TO KISS HIM?! B-BUT…WHY?!"_ Erina thought, frustrated and mentally slapping herself. She slowly looked up at Soma who was sitting up, just staring at her. He looked lost and in disbelief, unable to form words or process what had just happened until another ring echoed throughout the room, prompting him to grab it and check the caller ID. It was Yoshino. He showed the caller ID to Erina. As soon as she recognized it, she shook her head furiously. Soma just shrugged him and apologetically smiled at her, answering the phone. Erina let out a silent groan as Soma put it on speaker.

"Hey, Yuki-chan. What's up?" he asked, trying to act calm.

" _Hiya! Is Erina-cchi still in your room?! What are you guys up to?! Anything interesting happen?!"_ she shouted, a little too enthusiastic to sound like "innocent" questions. Soma looked back at Erina who shook her head furiously.

"Na, not really. She's uhh…" Soma looked back at her. Erina pondered for a moment then pointed her finger up, a light bulb going off in her head. She held her left hand out, palm up. With her right hand, she used her pointer and middle finger used them to imitate legs. She moved her pointer finger forward as if it was taking a step, followed by her middle finger.

"She uhh…went outside for a walk?" Soma asked, uncertainty in his voice. Erina's mouth widened in shock and face palmed herself.

" _Awww, are you kidding me! Alright, just call me when she's back"_ Yoshino responded with an annoyed tone as she hung up. Soma just looked up at Erina, who was rubbing her temples.

"You couldn't have just said I was walking over to her room?!" she asked, her voice getting louder after every word. Soma rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"How was I supposed to know that's what you meant specifically?!"

"Common sense! Oh wait, I forgot that you don't have any!" Erina shouted back, annoyed with Soma. Soma just let out an exasperated sigh as he flopped back onto the bed. Erina let out a sigh and looked off to the side as he just stared at her. She was trying her best to avoid eye contact; after what had just occurred, she couldn't look at Soma.

"Hey, listen-"

"I'm going to go. I have to go take a walk around the dorm apparently" Erina said, sighing as she opened the door. Soma got up and reached for Erina but before he could, she spoke up once again.

"And please…let's not talk about this. Just…pretend it never happened" Erina said in a hush tone. Soma's hand stopped midway as he watched her walk out the door and slamming it behind her.

As Erina made her way outside, she let out sigh. Taking in a deep breath, images of Soma's face began to pop up in her head. His deadly serious expressions that he would put on whenever he was dead set on a goal, his carefree smiles whenever he was having fun with his friends or whenever he was trying to cheer people up, even his dopey expressions that would get on Erina's nerves.

" _I really do like him, huh…"_ Erina clutched her chest, frustration bubbling inside her as she tried to make sense of her new-found feelings.

* * *

An exhausted sigh bounced around Soma's room as he collapsed onto the bed, resting the back of his wrist on his forehead. He stared at the ceiling, frustrated with himself.

" _I shouldn't have pulled her…I should have stopped her…damn it! What is this?!"_ Soma thought angrily before he sat up. He crossed his legs and crossed his arms against his chest, irritation building up as he tried to make sense of the situation.

" _I don't think a shokugeki is gonna get me out of this pickle_ "

 _ **A/N: So, lets just ignore the fact that I said I'd be able to pump out a chapter per week and act like I just happened to be resurrected from the dead. So wassup lmfao. IN all seriousness, my bad for the rather lengthy pause. College is overwhelming and well, I was just lazy LOL. But I happened to see that people were still favoriting and reviewing this and I was like whaaa? I can't just leave everyone hanging T^T. I'll try my best to make updates more consistent and well, I mayyyy already have something else in the works. Maybe :^). But I do plan on finishing this, maybe making it a little over 20 chapters? I don't wanna make any crazy over-arching story until I feel like I can handle it but for now, hope you enjoyed the end of this chapter~ Decided that I may want to speed up the process a bit lel. And donnnn't worry, I'm already working on chapter 12!**_


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